Call of the Ancestors
by MythosMike
Summary: 10 years after the Fall of Malefor, Warfang has entered a new era of peace. Spyro and Cynder spearhead a new peacekeeping force, entrusted of safeguarding the Dragon City. But a power has begun to stir that neither could anticipate. Along with a new cast of heroes, they will have to face this supernatural danger, or lose everything they fought for. By Unit-Omicron & Madhawker
1. Chapter 1

**Call of the Ancestors**

 **Chapter 1**

The end of the world began quietly for the City of Warfang.

The sun had just begun to poke up above the western mountains that towered over the City, and most of the city's inhabitants had just begun to stretch their legs and wings, going about their business.

Not Miarko, however.

He wasn't much of a morning person, and it certainly showed on a weekday mornings such as this one. The Fire Dragon was spread out over his bed, four legs facing one way, his tail another, wings widely spread out over an area behind him. He was snoring lightly as his brain began to turn back on and he woke up slowly. He opened his eyes slightly, only to immediately shut them again as a bright ray of light hit his vision.

" _Note to self, remember to close the curtains before going to bed at night_ ," he thought to himself before rolling over to the other side of the bed and getting a better position to open his eyes. He yawned and rose up slowly, now out of the sun's piercing gaze. Sighing to himself, he brought up his full muscular form out of the set of cushions making out his resting place, and walked to the nearby washroom that was adjoined to his living space. Fully opening his eyes, he began to examine himself.

Miarko was a maroon scaled fire dragon, with darker scales than others of his element possessed. Black features and frills dotted his face in several positions around his chin and lower snout. He remembered when he was just a younger dragon, and only had the one single black frill under his chin. He laughed at the thought and moved a paw to grab a soap bar and polish his four black horns that dotted the top of his head and the series of thorn-like frills that ran down his back towards his tail. Unlike many other dragons, Miarko did not have a tail blade at the end of his tail, and it instead ended with a simple membrane, much like that of a cheetah or canine. Next, the Fire Dragon took the bar and scrubbed underneath his belly, scrubbing the gray scales that made up his lower body and his polished and refined white claws.

He looked himself over once more with his sharp blue eyes, taking in every feature to make sure that he was in tip-top shape. Nodding to himself that everything was satisfactory, he moved to to the other side of the washroom and turned on a faucet that lead into a small bathtub. It was built for dragons, but the moles had constructed it and had made...slightly incorrect assumptions regarding the sizes of the young adult ages of dragons, of which Miarko considered himself a member. The Fire Dragon took a few minutes to freshen up every portion of his body (especially his lower body). Making sure that all of his scales were polished, he stepped out of the tub and shook off the water. Sighing to himself, he knew it was time to do what he dreaded the most.

Actually getting up for the day and getting the things done that he needed to get done.

There were no meeting scheduled for the Fire Dragon today, as his squad had no new reports to share with his superiors. A seasoned warrior such as himself might have thought that working under the two dragons that he did would be a bit more...entertaining. Nevertheless, work is still work. And being late never makes a good impression…

Groaning at the thought, the Fire Dragon looked at the nearby case in the bedroom, which housed his formal armor. Normally, he would don the set to go to his position for the day, but on a calm day such as this one, there was no need. He took one last glance at the mirror on the other side of the room, and exited out onto the balcony nearby. Spreading and flapping his wings for a moment (and making sure the door to the room was locked), Miarko dove off the balcony and soared down to the street below.

Warfang had changed greatly in the years following the defeat of Malefor. The Great Purple Dragon, Spyro, had expended a great amount of energy to reform the planet around its crystalline core, but the reforming process hadn't exactly been perfect. Crags shot out from many places on the surface, forming floating islands in many places in and around Warfang. These drops dotted the landscape below with steep and usually assumed dangerous craters, along with piles of rubble which had formerly been houses or constructs which hadn't stayed on their respective floating landmasses. One such building was the Dragon Temple, which was completely obliterated during the final battle as it tumbled down into the great Volcano the Destroyer had used to enter the world itself. In the days following the " _Great Reforming"_ as most inhabitants of the realms had began to call it, it had made travel for the land-bound races of the Realms almost completely impossible, and they had had to rely on the assistance of the only sky-bound race in existence, what remained of Dragonkind. The Moles had constructed ways to get up to the portions of the City that had been raised in the event, but not all of the constructions were perfect. There had been deaths in the early days of the process, but the constructions had become more and more stable in the ten years since the War.

Miarko himself lived on one such floating island near the center of Warfang. It was a humble living, but it had taken getting used to, having to fly upwards at a much greater elevation. Being this high above sea level made it harder to breathe, but most individuals had gotten used to it over time.

The Fire Dragon still hated flying up to it in his armor either way.

Miarko was headed for a specific place, the headquarters of the Defenders of Warfang.

The DOW, as they were normally referred to as by the residents of Warfang, were a peacekeeping group lead by warriors that had defended Warfang and the Realms during the War. Many of their number had remained with the organization since its founding immediately following the defeat of Malefor, and the DOW had prospered for ten years as a viable organization, even paired with Warfang's own army.

Miarko had been young at the time at the Siege of Warfang and the subsequent downfall of Malefor. He was still a young adult by draconian standards, but he had grown wiser in his older age. He was still a kid at heart though, his sister always made sure to let him know about how immature he could be at times.

Descending to the ground, Miarko looked upwards at his destination. The DOW had claimed one of the taller towers in the Dragon City, and they had needed every square meter. It was a large complex, and towered above the smaller buildings in its district, and was almost entirely occupied. The Fire Dragon walked inside the skyscraper, never minding the, as per tradition, very beautifully and brightly decorated lobby, built out of marble and other different vibrant colors in classic Warfangian architectural style. And began ascending the floors to his office.

Miarko was a Captain in the organization, and commanded the 17th Platoon of the DOW. Somewhat unironically, the Fire Dragon's office was on the 17th floor of the building. He was sure that the Engineers of the building had had a laugh at that one.

He unlocked the door to the small space and set down his pack on the desk inside. He sighed and noticed that a note was on his desk. A common occurrence, the Fire Dragon picked it up and set it aside for later reading. The floor was mostly quiet this time of morning, rarely did most of the Captain's inferiors have to come in this early in the morning. Off-days such as this one had become the majority of Miarko's working life. The worst conflicts that the _17th_ had to face were petty brawls and the occasional bandit raid on caravans outside of the walls. While the DOW were considered defenders of Warfang, the title extended to many portions of the continent on which the City sat upon, and many outlying settlements fell under the jurisdiction of Warfang and her protectors. Tall Plains, The Valley of Avalar and the swamps surrounding the long Silver River, to mention just a few.

A few minutes after Miarko had entered his office, there was a light knock at the door.

Shuffling through the papers that he wasn't reading, Miarko shouted, "Please, enter!"

The door opened slowly, and a dragon's head poked through. One of the soldiers under Miarko; he spoke quickly, "Sir. Leaders are waiting for you upstairs, sir."

Miarko groaned. He knew that he had missed something. Turning to the other side of the desk, he looked around for the note that he had noticed at the beginning of the morning.

Turning it over, he read, " _Miarko, meet me in my office once you get here. We have some details to go over concerning the last caravan raid. -S"_

Miarko nodded his head silently in thanks to the soldier that had brought him the message, who saluted and walked away, leaving the door open. Miarko picked himself up out of his chair and stretched his legs. He was not prepared for this meeting, not in the slightest. Why had he forgotten to bring the armor?

Sighing to himself, the Fire Dragon ascended the stairs to the top floor of the building. There was only a small waiting room on this floor, plus the offices of the individuals that he was to be meeting with. He sat in one of the chairs here, looking at a clock on the wall for reference. It was time for the meeting, but no one else was present in the lobby. Perhaps they were downstair-

"Miarko," came a sudden voice from behind one of the doors. It was cracked open slightly, inviting the Fire Captain to come in. Miarko stretched out his forepaw for a few moments and took in a deep breath, and slowly entered the office, pushing the door open.

Even though he had been in the room plenty of times in the past, the sheer weight of it never ceased to blow him away. It was an ornate room, with the best office-esque furniture that Warfangian gems could buy. Hand-carved mahogany desk and armoire, beautifully crafted windows that seemed to look out onto the entire Dragon City, and bookcases that seemed to stretch up to the ceiling, All sorts of tomes filled the shelves, and Miarko had borrowed a selection from here once. He wasn't much of a reader himself, but the owner of the office certainly was.

Miarko stopped at the foot of the desk and saluted. Two individuals stood on the other side of the room, talking to each other.

The male turned to face him first, waving a paw, "Please, Captain, dispense with the pleasantries. You know that type of thing drives me insane."

Miarko shrunk an eye in realization, bringing his head back up to level and nodded. He still had difficulty finding the correct way to greet him.

It wasn't every day that the Fire Dragon got to have a meeting with the saviors of the Realms, Spyro and Cynder.

* * *

It is dark. Darker and yet darker.

Well…

Every morning, every moment is actually pretty dark in Sethelis' case. Probably due to her housing having one big window in the room which she calls "Bedroom". And that window is more than often covered in thick wine-red drapes. Covering her room in complete darkness if she'd wish to sleep. However, Sethelis knows that this isn't the time for sleeping, as she can tell by light seeping in from under the thin line of empty space between the door to her bedroom and the rest of her living area.

The dragoness groaned to herself. She had had a late night last night, and not gained one minute of shut eye until she could see the sun rising again. Even if she had been several hundred meters up in the skies at that moment, which usually means that one can see the sun earlier than those at ground level, she had managed to get back to base, at least start with the outline of what would become her report for the previous successful mission which she had completed earlier the same evening.

However 5 hours of sleep is not enough.

Not even remotely, if she wants to stay in a somewhat less grumpy mood. Luckily she has some new recruits to take it out on in the morning.

" _Rising early does have it's rewards… In a way."_ The dragoness thought to herself, opening one sickly yellow eye. The slitted pupil seemingly grew thinner as she realised one… Very… Simple… Thing.

She needs to get up.

And to work. That report must be in, and given to the high command within…

She would roll out of her nest of warm blankets and cozy cushions to rapidly (Too rapidly for her own eye's liking) pull the curtains aside with the tip of her tail and her left frontal paw. It seems like she had slept longer than she thought.

Cursing herself under her own breath, Sethelis would rapidly turn around, rush past the stand opposed to her nest keeping a very tidily and well kept armor ready to be put on within the time lapse of less than two minutes. It consists of several pieces of metal, well kept and shining in a odd way, given the material it is made of. The armor is forged out of a special alloy, known as Dark Steel. A special mixture of raw metals which was discovered by moles centuries ago, being as hard and as durable as the strongest iron armor plates, but yet allowing acrobatic and, or, swifter maneuvers. Intricately covered in a pattern resembling the the soft swirls of the shadow element.

It is said that Dark Steel has the ability to absorb light, but if that was true, then she would most likely never take it off, and that would be…. Disconcerting. If not uncomfortable. Wearing a set of armor over a prolonged amount of time usually makes one sore. Especially around the wing joints, which in itself is a pain.

Sethelis would proceed out into a small hallway, which branched out into a bigger living room, housing a cooking pit which sent out an amber glow along with the torches scattered across the walls. Said which is also where the entrance to her home is located. Not that it is ever used.

And only rarely, she doesn't get too many visitors, and the few she has had over the last 3 months has all been work related. She sighs at the thought; " _You're sooo lonely."_ she taunted herself within her thoughts, before rapidly slipping back into her bedroom. And grabbing the pieces of armor under both her wings and in her maw.

She would make sure to look proper and formal when meeting high command. They are the ones putting the gems within her grasp after all. Even dragonesses has to eat, no?

She would quickly get out a little something she casually uses now and then from a cramped space in between a cabinet and the wall in her washing room, a full body size mirror. Helps getting straps adjusted and making the armor fit as good as possible. And maybe also boosts her ego when she tries to either look extra pretty or extra menacing.

She has heard recruits of the DOW comment on her looks many times, usually when they think she cannot hear or isn't paying attention. Their little comments and… Not too passing remarks to mention unless in a private conversation, usually makes her feel somewhat appreciated.

Not that she doesn't. The two heroes welcomed her services with a warm welcome. One of the few rare moments she felt truly like she wasn't in some kind of dull limbo between work and just letting life slip by.

However, Sethelis wouldn't waste more time by thinking of how sad her life was, and turn over to finally getting herself into her armor, and to her mission report. The dragoness would study the straps on one of her foreleg bracers, before looking back at herself. She is a pretty thing, not to boast. A sleek yet not skinny figure, outlined by muscles which she happily uses and trains regularly. A pair of night-black wings with a tone of grayish white to her wings. Alas the membrane is of the same tone as the rest of her main body; To some, it might appear as a strange shade of blue. Almost like the night sky at it's darkest. In a sky where no stars burn. She would follow up by strapping the wristguards onto her forelegs adjusting the straps with her razor sharp and pearly white fangs. She would carefully make sure that everything was perfect so that the pieces of metal would fit to her blue-black scales.

She would proceed to put the armor on, piece by piece. Other wristguard, wing-armor, chestplate, which covers over her back, hiding battle scars and one or two tattoos from an younger and "wilder" age. She would make sure so that it was good, adjusting the straps as it hid her underbelly, which has the exact same steely-white colors of her wings, she would look over at her tail, the tip is in the shape of a hulled spear, sharp and very very pointy. She makes sure that it is capable of at least slice either a very thick rope or possibly a thicker tree trunk in two blows or less before she's satisfied, and she knows that it is up to satisfaction. Came in handy during her latest mission. Not too handy for the person whose head she chopped off.

The dragoness wouldn't bother with tail armor. It was clumsy and restricts her balance, as well as ignoring a helmet, since it would impair her already limited vision. Speaking of which, an important and prominent feature was her face. Feminine with the more smoothened out rectangular shape on her snout, which has three diagonal white stripes over it. A single eye, slightly bigger eyes than a male's, bearing the striking color of bright yellow, surrounding a slitted iris. However, this dragoness only possessed one. A majorily healed facial scar ran along her temple and upper forehead marked that she had been cut with something. Most likely a sharper weapon like an axe or possibly a sword. Even if the damage was mostly healed, her eye was beyond saving. Even for red gems. Nowadays she wore an eyepatch, with a little ornate symbol for the shadow element and the insignia of the DOW sewn onto it.

Going with just plain black is too old school, even for her. Besides, she wasn't no pirate. She would shake her head, and glance over her horns quickly, white as marble, standing out quite prominently, given her otherwise very dark shades of blue and white-gray. She has two sets of horns, one on each side of her skull, which in turn branched out into two, making the two horns into four, along with two smaller spikes down her neck and at the very beginning of her jawline. Said horns were rather thick at the base, but quickly getting sleeker and slimmer. Not a single dent or ridge to be seen, even if they both end with a slight "Hook" at the very tips. She would study her self for a bit, gaining poise for a short moment.

"All set…" She murmurs to herself before putting the mirror back where it belongs, in the small space between that cabinet and the wall in her washingroom. She would then proceed to hurry her way out to the balcony. The area of Warfang she used to live on was in one of the upper districts. So the smaller place she lives in now is just temporary whilst her home is still being rebuilt, chunks taken out of the city and lifted to the skies tends to create those kinds of year-long delays for building projects. However, Sethelis found her little area cozy enough, as it was still in a fairly okay neighborhood whilst also fairly close to the biggest plaza of Warfang.

She would with one strong leap from the stone railing on her balcony take to the skies, flapping her wings casually as she flew. No need to worry about any locked doors. Her door is always locked…

Soon enough, the dragoness landed in front of the DOW tower, looking up and thinking to herself; " _Should I make an entrance? Or shall I take the slower but more dignified route?"_

She decided upon the swifter way, so what she did was once more flying. Albeit she had to make a quick stop at her office, at the Captain's floor, the 17'th floor. Walking past one or two dragons of her fellow rang, even a cheetah…

Cheetahs had been accepted into the DOW, as well as Moles. It was the founder's core beliefs that " _All races has rights to fight for their homes and families, why hinder them with a dragons only policy?"_ Hence seeing a Cheetah captain was not a complete surprise. Even if she ever-so-slightly nudged the cat aside. No time for pleasantries. Sethelis would proceed into her office, the room was quite spacey, with a simple desk, some files on previous missions stacked up on shelves, properly organised after order when they were conducted.

Alas, they are only her favorite cases. "For the VIP shelf" as she could call it.

Sethelis saw her barely finished report lying on her desk, a quill and a bottle of ink next to it.

So what did she do? She sat down on her haunches, and wrote faster than she had ever written a report before. Usually she takes her time, but she had this mission fresh in her memory and wanted to get this delivered to high command as soon as possible. Only five minutes later she was done. Not even putting the quill in the bottle of ink, but merely dropping it onto the desk before hurrying towards the stairs to the upper floors.

She would come up the floors of the tower, not even bothering to stop for conversation even if someone called her name after her.

The dragoness didn't stop until she got to the top floor and end of the staircase.

She saw one of the two office doors up in front of her, on the opposing side of the little "wait" room close shut, as a red tail slipped in. She didn't want to bother the two in charge if they'd be having a meeting.

Not for a mere missions report. But… It was starting to take time. She had rushed quite a fair bit to get here. And her, as per usual, short fuse slowly started to burn out. She ended up realising that she was suddenly standing in front of the door to Spyro's office. And had just knocked…

* * *

"And that's all you wished to report?" asked Spyro.

He was now sitting on a cushion on the far side of the office. Spyro and Cynder sat across from him, staring into his blue eyes, waiting for some sort of response regarding the caravan that had been raided and previously protected by members of the Captain's platoon the week before. Miarko wasn't entirely sure why this certain mission had brought about the personal attention of the two leaders of the DOW. They normally just managed the general going-ons of the organization, mainly the PR and such. The way the Defenders were organized made the peacekeeping force mostly self-sufficient in many ways. Respected commanders were able to micro-manage the details of their own troops and only needed to collaborate with other platoons in specific instances that required more than 100 troops. This of course, was incredibly rare.

The Dragon City had fallen into an era of peace, much like the fallen Fire Guardian Ignitus had predicted. There was almost no need for a standing army anymore, and many of the warriors of the previous Draconian defense force had either retired or taken cushy office positions with the DOW or more peacetime-type businesses. Heck, Miarko had heard that one of the defenders of the walls had become a principal investor in some sort of business downtown that had taken off in the years following the War, but he knew next to nothing about it and the thought had barely crossed the Dragon's mind.

Refocusing his attention on the two dragons that sat in front of him, the Fire Defender cleared his throat and said, "Yes, sir. Would you like me to summarize the bottom line, sir?"

"Proceed," nodded the Purple Dragon.

The years had been kind to the Purple Dragon and his female companion. When they had first exited the tunnel from the Valley of Avalar all those years ago, they had been very young by draconian standards, and it was by some sheer miracle that the two had managed to defeat Malefor. Some say the pair had been blessed by the Ancestors themselves in their task, but it wasn't a subject that either of them cared to discuss.

Spyro had seen many gold and orange frills sprout from different areas around his face and his golden horns had almost doubled in length. His face had grown much fuller than it was in his younger years, and there were many cracks in his scales around his upper body from the many battles that he had emerged from unscathed. Miarko wasn't sure if there was another Dragon in the Realms that had seen more battle than the Purple Dragon of legend. Portions of his wings were tattered and he had even lost portions of his membrane in specific areas, like many dragons had to face when they grew older. For Spyro, however, his wings looked twenty years older than most dragons' did at his age. Despite all the damage that he showed, however, Spyro looked… Right. It was hard to put it into words, but he had aged just as the Fire Defender thought he would.

Clearing his throat, Miarko nodded his head and responded, "The Caravan was hit by a group of bandits that just moved into the area, Director," he said, referencing Spyro's title in the DOW, "Group of wolves, from what my soldiers could tell after they arrived at the scene. Caravan was fully looted, sir, seemingly long before they arrived on the scene. Severe damage to several of the wagons, which had some of their wheels popped off and lay in the muck on several sides of the road. Likely that those sides were taken first, trying to hinder the group's movement and ability to flee. As for the-"

"Captain," came Cynder's voice from the side, urging the Fire Defender to halt what he was saying, "We do not require the play by play of what your soldiers discovered about the soil composition and the exact element number of the rotting wood on the sides of the road. Spyro and I are more interested in what happened to the occupants and drivers of the carts your platoon discovered."

Miarko nodded his head, "Of course, Madame Director," he said, addressing Cynder's title. He took a moment to gather his thoughts.

Cynder, likewise to her companion, had aged well. According to the legends, she now looked almost identical to how she had appeared when first resurfacing under the control of the Dark Master all those years ago at the beginning of the " _Malefic Wars"._ She was as slender and beautiful as Miarko remembered her from the Siege of Warfang, in which he had participated. Like her companion, her scales showed some damage and her membranes were torn throughout. Her horns had grown to lengths that nearly doubled the size of her head from snout to top. Her green jades eyes pierced into Miarko's with a mix of interest, boredom, and general concern for his response.

"Well, this was the oddest portion of the details of the raid that my troops discovered," came Miarko's delivery, "There were no bodies, and no survivors to be found at the wrecks. My men were able to safely assume that the occupants of the caravans were...taken by these bandits."

Spyro and Cynder looked at each other and spoke with hushed tones for a few moments. This detail seemed to concern them. Miarko hadn't paid it much heed when he submitted the report. It had seemed like a usual ransom case; bandits kidnapped residents of the Dragon City and her outlying settlements all the time. It wasn't the 17th's job to handle the rescue mission or negotiations, that usually got passed off to more...responsible divisions. The 17th, as much as Miarko perhaps didn't care to admit it, wasn't skilled in that specific area.

The two heroes turned back to him at that point, with Spyro being the first to speak, "Thank you, Captain. This report is something that we'll look into. You are dimiss-"

Spyro was interrupted by a sudden knock at the door and a dragoness barging in.

"Shadow Leader Sethelis reporting in, Director and Madame Director." The dragoness would state, formally, before doing a, if not rather quick, salute.

The Purple Dragon would turn towards this new armor clad dragoness, who was seemingly clutching a scroll of paper tuckered in under her wing. Spyro would tilt his head slightly, looking at the dragoness a few seconds before speaking.

"Nice to have you here Shadow Leader. Is that the mission report Cynder and I have been awaiting?"

The dragoness nodded, before replying in the same rank-and-file fashion; "Yes, Director," before handing him the scroll.

It was sealed with a insignia looking like the one which adored the dragoness' eyepatch. This is probably one of the other Captains. However, Miarko couldn't say he's paid the dragoness too much notice. Possibly seen her once or twice since they apparently work on the same floor, but otherwise he'd have next to no interaction with this "Sethelis" over all. Maybe laying a ladies' man's eye on her once, but nothing in general.

The dragoness would however turn towards Cynder and say "Mission was a success, ma'am. Permission to speak freely?"

Cynder would seemingly think a little, before stating "Permission granted, but watch your tongue." With a short and barely noticeable nod towards the Fire Captain.

Sethelis would nod thankfully before starting; "I am worried to say things doesn't look too good. The areas you've told me to investigate has become _hot zones_ of sorts, trouble stirring in the outer villages. But I think, and intel states, that there's more to it than just mere wolves in their little packs. These bandits are known to take hostages. But there was no traces of actual battle. As if none of the caravaners made any resistance…"

Spyro would've broken the seal and had started to read the scroll which Sethelis had brought with her, and his brows seemingly furrowed slightly. A slight " _Hmmmrhm…_ " could be heard as The Purple Dragon was thinking on some seemingly important matter…

"Very good, Shadow Leader." He started, looking up at the two younger dragons. "Miarko, Sethelis. You can consider yourselves dismissed for now." He said, before turning to Cynder; "I need to have you read this. And tell me what you make of it..."

The dragoness in the armor would by then have turned to almost leave the room. And Miarko was shortly outside along with her in the waiting room, the door shutting behind the two slowly as they exited.

The silence between the two _quickly_ grew awkward.

Miarko shuffled his paws for a moment. He was surprised that he hadn't really noticed this 'ness around before. She was _stunning._ It was normally his idea to keep his numerous romantic pursuits outside of the work environment, but for an individual like this, he couldn't really help himself.

The Fire Captain looked at her, bowing his head as he said, "Captain Miarko. Glad to finally make your acquaintance, madame…?"

Sethelis on the other hand was rather relieved to finally have that darn report turned in. She let a sigh of relief out over that she had been saved, if not narrowly, from a remark by Cynder. Seth knows how much that dragoness wants things to be done in time. And Sethelis is usually proud over never ever turning in a report late. Until _today_.

She looked over with her one good eye to this other commander she had apparently seen enter the room prior.

She'd remember that tail no matter how drunk she'd been when she'd seen it. A tail without a tail blade? It would be just as obvious like a Mole pretending to be a Cheetah!

However, tracking the tail with her sight, _discreetly_ she might add, leads to a pair of strong hind legs. " _Looks like they'd pack a punch in a fight, duly noted."_ She thought, as if examining a upcoming foe in a sparring match. Planning ahead is A&O in the non-existent Shadows handbook. She would continue along, her slitted pupil widening slightly as the thought struck her;

He is outright _handsome_. If she hadn't seen him with her own eye, she'd probably not believe it. Not even if she'd heard it from herself. If she'd find anyone attractive anywhere above the word " _Interesting"_ on a scale from " _Interesting_ " to " _Outright have my eggs."_ she'd think she'd be dreaming. But here she is. In the top of HQ, and…

He's talking to her?

" _Captain Miarko. Glad to finally make your acquaintance, madame…?"_

She would think. And quickly. She usually only speaks to her squad, and she's known them for years.

The dragoness cleared her throat, before turning her attention to his eyes. " _So blue…"_

She thought. Just possibly mumbling the words under her own breath. Before she blinked, " _Egh… Ehh, uhm…_ Sethelis. Please, just Sethelis." She started, already feeling like she'd toss her dignity out the window and then dive bomb after it just to save herself from this conversation. Fumbling to remember the basics of non-formal introductions, she looked up at him; "So… Miarko, huh? Captain… I guess we're of the same rank."

"Indeed we are, Captai- or, Sethlis rather. I thought myself familiar with all of the leaders of the platoons in this organization, but I don't remember speaking to you in the past. And _trust me_ , I'd remember a face like yours," responded the Fire Captain, throwing in a slight flirt at the end.

Normally the Fire Dragon was a tad bit more...overt about his intentions about women. If there was one thing that he was known for by his men, it was his way with females of his species.

Sethelis might be the absolutely worst dragoness ever when it comes to talking. But she recognizes a advance when she hears one. And with this guys going in so fast, Seth felt like retaliating, dusting off her set of flirts which hasn't been used in… Well. Let's just say " _A long time"._

"Oh would you, now?" Sethelis started, adjusting her eyepatch slightly, before looking up at the Captain. "Because I'll let you know…" She started, leaning in slightly, her voice getting a bit more quiet and whispering. "... You might be charming, but do you truly have what it takes?" She taunted, slightly, giving him a sly wink with her one eye.

Her tail dragging itself along the floor as she sat down on her haunches. Her mind might not reveal it, but she has yearned for casual conversation for a long time. And this Miarko fellow might just be her saviour.

Meanwhile, Miarko sat down on the cushions outside of the offices, relaxing against the nearby wall. He wasn't going to give up this opportunity.

"I think I do, madame. Maybe I can prove it to you," said the Fire Dragon, choosing his words carefully, "I happen to have some free time after tea time this Saturday. Can I expect to see you then?"

Sethelis swallowed. This male…. He is… Interesting to say the least, an outgoing personality, good looks? And…. Did he say _tea_? She might not admit it to anyone, except possibly herself, but tea? Her weak spot .Give this dragoness tea and she'll give you her soul in return.

Sethelis nodded, smiling. It wasn't too far to Saturday, only Friday before that. "Let us hope that the time after tea this Saturday turns out as time well spent, yes? Any particular places you think we'd be able to visit and meet up in? Or possibly at one of our places?" The dragoness suggested, studying her claws as she spoke, before facing the male.

"I'd love to see you at one of the cafes outside of the tower then, if that would be to your liking?" responded the Fire Dragon, smiling at her.

As Miarko spoke, he'd see Sethelis taking a liking to the suggestion; "I am completely fine with that, Captain." She said, before once more getting up.

"But right now, we're busy people. However, since you've seemingly had a hard time noticing my _pretty_ face before, just look for this on the office door," Seth stated. Using the very tip of her tailblade, pointing to the insignia of the Shadows Department on her eyepatch.

"Hard to miss once you know what to look for. Yes?"

"Indeed, the insignia is familiar to me," responded the Fire Dragon, "I'll look for you outside that office after tea time on Saturday, then. Good day, Sethelis."

With that, Miarko bowed his head courteously at the Shadow Dragoness and walked back down the stairs from the lobby, seemingly headed back to his office for the time being. He quickly disappeared from sight, leaving the Shadow Dragoness alone.

Sethelis sat there for a short while, watching the corridor where the Fire Captain disappeared down the hall.

Maybe this weekend was going to be a bit more eventful than she had thought.

* * *

 **A/N: Greetings, and welcome to this new story that has graced the archive here. My name is Mike, or Unit-Omicron if you prefer. I'm the author of the The Spyro and Cynder Adventures, where you may know me from. I've been gone from the archive for a few months now, but I'm happy to be back, and not be alone this time!**

 **While he's not here to introduce himself at the moment (I type this at 9pm at night, and it is in the early hours of the morning for him.) I am co-writing this novel with a good friend of mine, Madhawker. While this is his first novel and English is not his first language, I can personally vouch for his expertise in the writing of literature and his knowledge of the TLOS universe.**

 **Some of more long-time followers may be asking two questions: Is this novel connected to the TSCA series and does this mean that the TSCA series is on hold? No and yes, to answer both of those questions simply.**

 **While Miarko, Spyro, Cynder and the Guardians will be appearing in this work and be important characters, the universe will be entirely separate and (in no way) connected to TSCA timeline. The TSCA series is also on indefinite hold for the time being. Tamara and Richter will see more down the line, but for now, I want to focus my attention on a new novel, a new IP if you will. My apologies to the ever-loyal fans of that series, but it's time for me to move onto something new.**

 **Thank you for checking out this new work. Please don't forget to review and share your thoughts with us!**

 **Mike and Madhawker, signing out for now.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Call of the Ancestors**

 **Chapter 2: Train of Thought**

Sethelis would feel strange over the ongoing day, not really focusing on the tasks at hand, nor on being her normal grumpy self at the weekly meeting with her squad. She even seemed to be… _Social_. Her fellow Shadows just couldn't believe it, their boss was actually being admittedly nice and accepting for once.

She could've sworn that she caught one of her colleagues whisper to another; " _Think there's anything wrong with the boss? She's acting all nice suddenly. A trick? Another of her "Spontaneous exercises"_?" But Sethelis just shrugged it all off. Even on the flight home later in the evening, she just couldn't stop thinking on the upcoming… _Date_? Can she call it date? She wasn't too sure. In fact, she was probably way too low on her social skills to even be able to think of what she would need to do.

When she finally returned to her home, everything was like she'd left it…. In a big mess. Sethelis wasn't one to keep things tidy around her own place, besides, at work she had subordinates to do that job for her. She simply took her armor off, strap by strap, piece by piece. Nicely enough, she had grown so used to the process over time, making it easy for her to focus on other things while she removed the metal suit. All she could think about was the meeting with Miarko. What had made her seem so approachable in that short moment in the waiting room?

Sethelis was drawing a blank on any reason why the Fire Dragon had approached her. The dragoness proceeded to look out her big balcony doorway; The sun was setting slowly over the ocean, which seemed like a small glistening dot from where her balcony was located. The sun's light painted the skies in a copper-esque amber, as the dragoness simply sat there, watching the sheer beauty of nature. Maybe that whole thing about " _The Ancestors keeping nature's wild untamed beauty in check, but yet for everyone to admire_ " was true after all…

Sethelis yawed, it was a big day tomorrow, her first actual "social call" in over one and a half years, and she couldn't afford to spend one single piece of that day not mentally preparing or trying to come up with good things to say or mayb- _Slap_!

The dragoness was surprised, feeling the sudden sting of something, or rather someone, smacking her over the snout with a paw. She realised that she had been the one to slap herself. How? She had probably let her brain go on autopilot for too long, as she had for some reason, as her mirror has suddenly appeared in front of her. Sethelis shrugged at this, having no recollection of retrieving the mirror before now. She nodded at her own reflection, "Yeah. Maybe I should just stop worrying. Just… Be myself, as they kept on suggesting. But slightly more positive." She said to herself, trying to bolster some form of self-confirmation. Or possibly even confidence. But she was failing. Badly.

The dragoness would smirk at her own silly behaviour; " _Haha_ , why am I so worried? I am acting like a young 'ness getting ready for some kind of "first time" big event." She sighed; "Not like it is. Right?"

Right…?

* * *

Miarko had wandered back to his office after seeing one of his Lieutenants. Even though they had been discussing the goings-on of the 17th, the only thing that was truly on the Fire Dragon's mind was that of his upcoming outing in a few days.

The Fire Captain would be lying if he told Captain Sethelis that this was his first outing this month...it was not. If nothing else, Miarko was a dragonesses' type of man. He had a sort of...insidious reputation amongst his troops, regardless of whether the rumors that circulated about Miarko were true or not. (Even if they were true most of the time.) The Fire Defender had a rep around the Tower for being something of an individual with commitment issues. He wasn't about to tell Sethelis that, however.

Walking back down the hallway from another office, Miarko settled into his own space and shut the door behind him. He sighed and shook his head, staring at a pile of scrolls and papers that had been dumped on his desk. Likely just logistical reports and the like, but it was worth going over. He had a long day in front of him…

Several hours later, there was a light knock on the door. There was no answer from inside the office. One of Miarko's Lieutenants rasped on the door again before opening the door lightly. The Lieutenant huffed in laughter as he saw the Fire Dragon sprawled out over the desk, seemingly fast asleep. This wasn't the first time that he had come across the Captain in such a position. Sighing to himself, the Lieutenant poked the Fire Dragon. Miarko awoke with a rush of heavy breathing, his deep slumber disturbed by this abrupt interruption. The Lieutenant jumped back in surprise. Miarko looked up, his eyes adjusting to see the form in front of him.

He sighed, realizing who it was, "Hmm, hmm? Lieutenant Terron. What can I do for you?"

Miarko always had had trouble pronouncing the Lieutenant's name. Ah-doe-bear. It never rolled off of his tongue. Terron was an Earth Dragon and was slightly older than Miarko, but his career had ended much sooner than the Captain's. He had never really shown the aptitude for larger leadership roles like some of his younger counterparts like Miarko and Sethelis. This wasn't to say that he was incapable of command, but he had never really shown an aptitude for it.

Terron saluted, like he always did when he saw the Captain, and continued, "Captain. The Directors have fully reviewed your report and would like to accompany you to the site of the Caravan's wreckage."

Miarko leaned forward in his desk, this was unusual protocol for the Directors.

"Accompany me? I wasn't present during the mission. You had command of that mission, correct?" responded the Fire Captain, looking interested.

"Yes, sir. I will be acting as your guide for this operation."

"Very well, Lieutenant. Is there anything else?"

"No, sir," responded Terron,

With that, the Earth Dragon bowed his head and left the room. He shut the door closely behind him, and walked in the direction of the stairs. It seemed that they would be leaving via the Launch Balcony a few floors down.

Miarko shook his head, thinking to himself, " _I swear I'm going to sit that dragon down in a dive some day and tell him how the world works._ "

Terron was nothing without protocol. Miarko was all for following rules and procedures that the DOW had set in place, but Terron could recite nearly the entire handbook and every protocol listed within.

It was apparent that the Captain would need his armor for this mission. Why had he not put it on this morning? He hit himself in the head for his stupidity before diving off of the balcony outside of his office and heading towards his home quickly. He had been slightly wrong on one account…

This was going to be a _very_ long day.

About fifteen minutes later, the Fire Dragon descended onto the Launch Balcony of the DOW Tower, fully clad in armor besides his helmet, which sat in under his foreleg. Looking around for a moment, the Captain's eyes graced the forms of the two Directors, Spyro and Cynder, as well as the Lieutenant himself. He walked slowly up to the trio, preparing himself for the questions that were bound to be incoming.

Spyro was the first to turn to face his approach, "Good afternoon, Captain," he greeted Miarko.

Miarko nodded in greeting, "Good afternoon to you as well, Director."

"I assume Lieutenant Terron has brought you up to speed on why we've summoned you to come along with us?" came Cynder's voice.

"Indeed," responded Miarko, nodding his head, "However, I'm not entirely sure why you need my presence on this mission, Madame.

"Both Spyro and I believe that we require another set of eyes for this operation," she responded, "Besides, based on what the Lieutenant told us, we think you could use a stretch of your legs."

Miarko turned to Terron, realizing that he'd told the two Directors about how he had found Miarko, asleep at his desk just a quarter hour prior. Terron grimaced as he caught his commanding officer's burning gaze, and just shrugged in some sort of apologetic manner. Miarko rolled his eyes at this, before he looked back at the two Directors.

"Indeed, my desk was filled with some...unengaging reports that were not able to hold my attention for that long of a period, madame Director," came the Fire Captain's not-so-great excuse.

Both Directors laughed then, looking at each other. They whispered something in between themselves, then turned their attention back to Miarko.

"It is of no concern, Captain," came Cynder's explanation, "I believe I've seen this sleepy-head doing much of the same himself on his off-days," she finished, pointing to Spyro.

This earned a rapid glance at Cynder from the Purple Dragon, who was grinning himself, "When you've got as much to do as I do some days, sometimes you need some time to yourself!" he responded, clearly being sarcastic.

Cynder smiled warmly and nuzzled him closely before saying, "It's alright, I'll pick up your slack where I need to."

Miarko and Terron both looked away as the couple spoke to each other for a moment. It was rather common knowledge around the Dragon City that the two heroes had begun a relationship shortly after their defeat of Malefor. Miarko had never asked for the specific details concerning the pairing, but the relationship gave Miarko all sorts of warm feelings when he saw the two together. They had both seen some horrible things in their days and experienced even worse, but both remained as positive as they could be. The mutual company that they shared seemed to help matters immensely.

The pair turned back to the two soldiers at this point, both smiling lightly. Ancestors, Miarko wished he could find someone like that to warm _his_ days.

"Well, now that's done with," said Terron, clearing his throat awkwardly, "Shall we depart?"

The others looked at each other in succession, and after determining that everything was prepared for the trip, all nodded and took off, with the Lieutenant leading the way. They took to the skies, heading for the last location of the lost caravan.

* * *

Sethelis had hoped for a quiet evening, one without missions or any danger. But she was wrong, as she would step into her living room and stand eye to eyes with Shadow #2 and #3, two members of her platoon. They requested for her aid to which the dragoness couldn't resist. Some action before a nice day off has never hurt anyone. Or at least not her.

The mission was to be a strike at a group of cult-like bandits, whom had been troubling the caravans' trade routes within the areas that Warfang controls. Sethelis was a part of an organization which many in the DOW weren't even aware. Sethelis' department was responsible for doing the more "Shady" dealings that an organisation of like the Defenders sometimes had to do, acting in secret and… Outside the law, as Spyro put it when coming to her with a suggestion for the idea a few years ago;

" _Sometimes, even a organisation working for everyone's best needs to do morally inaccurate decisions and hence have… Less than admirable consequences. As such, I have a suggestion, Sethelis. You get free reign to do as you please, no restrictions or laws, as long as you and your platoon answer to Cynder and I. Sadly, no one will get to know of any possible heroics you might commit, but you'll be there. Like a silent guardian of sorts. A shadow._ "

Sethelis could recite that exact speech without even blinking. It had been one of the happier moments within her career. The words echoed within her skull as she looked over her shoulder, making sure no one was following or watching her.

Seemingly clear, she rasped at the door with her claws, wearing a cloak to conceal her identity. A disguise is usually pretty handy when one is infiltrating a cult of warrior wolves.

Luckily, the cult had started accepting others, since her squad didn't have a wolf member yet. And that "luck" is also a bad thing, meaning that they;d grow bigger much, much quicker. The door opened only a few inches wide, revealing a snarling snout and a eye glaring at her. "Whaddaya' want?" A voice asked, Sethelis only smirked under the hood. "Oh, nothing. Just to get in." She replied. The wolf growled at her. " _Well isn't this a nice doorman they've got?"_ Seth thought to herself.

She quickly uttered the password they had come over on an earlier mission, which was what set them on the course to this hideout, " _Congeria_ ". She had no idea who it was or what it meant, but she intended to find out.

As the door opened, Sethelis was treated with the visual of a wolf wearing leather armor, having a hilted sword at his hip. The leather was dyed red and black, with a strange logo on both shoulder pads and chest. The creature scratched his ragged fur as he moved out of the way; "Ye'r late." He continued, as he shut the door behind her. Sethelis was calm, she knew her aid was entering in a different way.

Meanwhile… On the second story of the building, a window got one of its panes carefully cut out by a cheetah-claw, as a furry arm with white fur and a spotted pattern reached in, and opened it up. A cheetah clad in a armor with the same style as Seth's and a hood over her head quietly made her way in, stopping just a few seconds. She etched the words " _ **Shadowz Rulez"**_ into the wall, being artistic was Shadow #2's thing. She would proceed to follow along the corridor, opening up a door leading into the main hall, doing a quiet jump from the overlook and unto one of the beams. Crouching down, the cheetah witnessed Sethelis make her way into the mass, blending in with the other robed dragons and armored wolves.

A dragon steps up in front of a podium, clearing his throat, making Sethelis raise an eyebrow. " _Gonna give a speech_?" She thought to herself.

"Brothers! Sisters!" The speaker started, raising a paw into the air. He was most likely a Fear Dragon; Sethelis could feel a chill run down her spine as silence took a grip over the room, everyone No one uttered any further words as he spoke.

"The time has come, I say! The time for our lady to return and once more set her plans into motion!" He continued, earning a agreeing sound from most cultists, probably the more devoted followers. Sethelis listened intensively, not like that speeches get her going like that. It isn't her thing. However she was very interested in this "Lady" the speaker mentioned. " _Who is she? What plans are she planning?"_ Her questions piled up as the speech continued.

"... And I swear by her name that we will crush the oppressors! The two traitors who turned against their purposes and slew the greatest piece in her ploy, and reunited this world in disgusting order!" The preacher continued, Sethelis getting a hunch; They must be planning something… " _But then why bother with kidnappings and raids? A cover up? No, they all seem to be fully devoted lunatics."_ There had been a few disappearances which Sethelis had to look into a few weeks prior, and… Well, not a trace. Just like the caravans. She hadn't paid the preaching dragon any further notice. Until he suddenly pointed with a paw at her; Yelling at the top of his lungs; "OUTSIDER!"

Seth flinched. Wait what? He had known? She would shake her head rapidly; "I don't know what you're talking about, I am one of… Er… You guys!" Sethelis called back, one thought dropping like a bomb; " _Well, so much for stealth._ "

And what proceeded next was swift and brutal; Shadow #2 fell down from her beam above the preacher's head, before landing on top of the lizard and jamming her sword through his head. What happened after that was a big mess; Sethelis disrobed herself in a swirl of shadows, cutting at anyone within her close vicinity. Shadow #2 would proceed to retract her blade from the head of the now deceased speaker, being forced to duck, dive and dodge out of the way of enemy attacks, differing from Elemental blows to blades.

Maybe she should've thought a bit more about the tactic _before_ charging into a group of up to twenty or so hostiles. However, Seth didn't plan on leaving anyone alive. " _Non testem, non est vestigium."_ As the motto went. The dragoness would proceed to bite around the wrist of a wolf which was charging her, sensing bones and joints snap as she nearly dismembered her victim. She then felt a sharp pain that ran along her back; She had no armor, and was, as a result, less protected than what she was used to be during combat. Having dragon claws claw at you was painful, as an electricity dragon had quickly pounced at her back, clawed at it, making sure to draw blood, before having the dragoness' tail blade pierce his neck.

Seth would growl in pain, albeit biting back the sound, not liking to give her opponent even the slightest whiff of her getting weakened during a battle.

As she continued to fight, time almost seemed to come to a crawl action as her eyes graced something occurring on the other side of the room.

Shadow #2 using the pommel of her blade, to knock a fire dragon back, which in turn would send the fire breathing dragon into a pile of barrels.

These were marked with one word in big letters; " **Gunpowder** ".

That's when Sethelis realised, and reacted quickly. She used the shadows to dive under the ground, re-emerged behind Shadow #2, grabbed her and literally used her shadow stepping to fly through the building, only for the storeroom to blow up, the heat wave tossing both #2 and Sethelis out onto the hard stone streets.

The dragoness groaned, feeling a numbing pain and a loud ringing in her head. Luckily she had the ability to move every limb, and grabbed Shadow #2 before any first responders had time to get to the burning building…

She could barely hear anything besides the raging flames as the building was incinerated behind her.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you for reading! Chapter 3 will be on the way soon. Don't forget to leave us a review. We really appreciate your support.**

 **-Mike and Hawk**


	3. Chapter 3

**Call of the Ancestors**

 **Chapter 3: Risen Anew**

In the slightly too small and cramped floor which was used for nursing and healing the wounded DOW soldiers back to either their office or field positions, was Sethelis. Her head still felt like it had recently been hit by that explosive. She could still hear a vague ringing, even though she knew very well that it really wasn't there.

She never liked being here. Watching the sick, or weak. And she especially did not like being treated herself. She had always preferred the more old school method of dragons simply letting their bodies absorb the pieces of a shattered red gem, and then be on their merry way. It was quicker, simpler and she could understand it. It was not like the arts of medicine or healing magics which were both unknown areas for her, besides the very basic things she had to know as a captain. However, as of that point, the DOW's supplies of the precious red stones had been drained to their very limits. With all the dragon DOW soldiers taking damage in things like helping with construction jobs, getting themselves hurt during fights with criminals, evil doers or maybe even a training section gone wrong, the supplies were diminished.

She groaned, and opened her eye. She tired to think through what she remembered before ending up here. She drew her thought back to how she had carried #2 on her back the whole long way from the Warfangian working-class living quarters, managing to find a late night operating lift leading to the floating island on which the DOW tower was located. Without it, she would have been stuck, as #2's wings most likely wouldn't have been able to carry them both in their bruised state.

All that would have accomplished would have been passing out in the lobby due to exhaustion.

At least it was still late morning, judging by the sunlight which hit the curtained windows. The dragoness decided that it was due time to get up and out of bed, as it seemed like the healers had done a fine job with patching her ribs together, even if Sethelis could feel a stiff inability to stand on, or move, her right front leg.

She looked down only to find it in a spleen, which was keeping it in a position tightly kept against her body via bandage which in turn was wrapped around her chest and the base of her neck.

Walking properly was a bit of a worry, as she was forced to limp her way around until the leg healed. She hoped this wouldn't intervene with this whole meetup she had hoped to be able to get to today.

The dragoness then proceeded to realize, her eye widening at the mere thought…

She had yet another reason to prefer red gems; She was terribly uncomfortable knowing that people had been all over her body when she wasn't aware of it. She'd liked to have one hundred percent acknowledgement of everything that had to do with her, or her body for that matter, but now she just didn't. Either way, this slight setback wouldn't stop Sethelis. Much more than mere social awkwardness would be enough to stop the Captain of the Shadows!

Hence, she simply left the room which she had rested in. The Shadow captain proceeded to continue up one of the tower's many dwindling staircases, struggling slightly with the steps every now and then.

Many steps, and many curses later she found herself at the halfway point of the flight of stairs, as she almost even tripped. It was so severe that Seth actually _did_ fall over, which forced her to stop, with her nose meeting up with the marble staircase. Sethelis groaned in pain as she felt her hurt leg taking weight from her body's impact with the cold marble. "Ow…" She said to herself, struggling to get up on her paws again.

A few minutes later, Sethelis had finally reached the Captain's floor. Floor 17. She fluttered her wings slightly, as she had noticed how there was barely any traffic in the cross-junction corridor which let the Captains and their subordinates to move around the offices at that point of the early day. She proceeded to limp through the corridor, happy that none of her colleagues or fellow Captains were out to see her in this state. She finally reached the familiar door with the insignia on its smooth wooden surface, and as she stepped into the office she'd called hers, she sighed deeply, shutting the door with her tail as she walked in.

She studied her desk, seems like someone dropped off a note. It was signed " _Zhadow #2"_

As she glanced at the note she saw that the sly cheetah had simply scribbled the words "Get well soon, Captain!" with her personal little "Zhadow #2" sign-off on the very corner of the piece of paper.

For some unknown reason, this bothered Sethelis to beyond any measure. It was as if the cat was mocking her. Especially with that completely unnecessary way of spelling "shadow" with a Z.

Which made her really grit her fangs however, was the fact that she simply couldn't focus on work. Too much was on her mind right now, and yet she had the report of the last mission to write. Sethelis was just about to crumble the note as best she could with one paw when she saw that something was written on the backside;

" _Did the mission report for you. Felt bad for my mess-up last night. Do I deserve a raise?_ "

This made the dragoness chuckle to herself. The cat had nothing but profit and work on her mind. Feeling one point of stress being removed from her overflowing mind was relieving to the dragoness, to say the least. Hence, she decided to take the rest of the day off, prepare for Miarko, and possibly go and get them a table reserved at that café he had mentioned. Who knew where this night was going to take her?

* * *

The flight to the supposed attack site took much longer than Miarko had anticipated. As his medical professional kept telling him, the tears in his membranes were starting to get to him. The doctor had recommended all sorts of ways to relieve the issue of slower flight stemming from the damages, but Miarko was apprehensive to undergo any sort of treatment. He wasn't one to request medical supervision unless it was absolutely necessary.

"Captain?" came the voice of one of Miarko's companions.

The Fire Captain turned, shaking himself from his thoughts, to find Spyro staring at him from a wing's length away.

"Director?" addressed Miarko, wondering what he needed.

"Something we didn't go over in the briefing has caught my curiosity, if you'll entertain me for a moment," said Spyro, Miarko nodded, earning more dialogue from the DOW Director, "One thing you didn't note in your report was the specifics regarding bandit groups in the area. I'm not entirely aware of the reports regarding them; would you mind giving me a rundown?"

Miarko nodded, noticing that they were still a distance away from the spot where they were headed. He had plenty of time to explain the situation to the Director.

"Well, sir, there's a few that are active on this side of the city. The Bloodclaws, Red Suns and Anointed Ones all have a presence on this side of the city," said the Fire Captain, explaining the local crime system, "Is there any of them in particular that you would wish to know about?"

"I'm familiar with the Bloodclaws and Red Suns," responded Spyro, "I'm more interested in hearing about this new group, the Anointed Ones."

Miarko nodded, turning to gather his thoughts, "Of course, sir. The problem is," he said, "I don't have much intel on them myself. They recently moved into this area, and we believe that they have some presence in Warfang as well even though we haven't been able to track down their hives in the city as of yet. They're lead by some enigmatic wolf they just refer to as their leader, I have no direct references to the name as of yet. They're oddly secretive for a group that engages in just as many illegal activities as others; the Suns and Claws prefer that their victims know that it was _them_ that committed the crime and not any of their rival groups in Warfang."

"Beyond that," continued the Fire Dragon, "They think of themselves as the 'bringers of chaos' and the 'servants of Congeria,' whatever in the Afterlife that means."

Spyro nodded as he mulled over the Fire Captain's report, there was a lot to process in what he had to say.

Turning back to him, the Purple Dragon said, "Are you at all familiar with Ancient Draconian Mythology, Captain?"

Miarko shook his head and pointed to a small necklace that hung around his neck, it was a symbol that was foreign to Spyro, "No, sir. Not a worshipper of the Ancestors like most of our race are," he responded,

"Oh, you're one of those...Prime Mover types, hm? I wasn't aware, Captain," responded Spyro, "My apologies."

Miarko was slightly surprised that the Director had heard of this. The Prime Mover wasn't a mainstream belief in Warfangian society, and most citizens weren't even aware of the movement's existence. There were no churches or temples devoted to the worship of the Mover, unlike those that were devoted to the Ancestors like the one Spyro had been trained in in the Swamp all of those years ago. While there were plenty of other splinter religious group, like these Anointed Ones it seemed, the Ancestors were still the most dominant religion in the Dragon City and the countryside.

"It's of no concern, Director," responded the Fire Captain, "Individuals tend to assume, I can understand that. To answer your question however, yes. I consider myself a member of the Prime movement. But we didn't come out all this way to discuss my religious beliefs, what does Draconian Mythology have to do with these Anointed Ones?"

"The fact that you mentioned Congeria, and the fact that this group, this _cult_ worships her to some extent confirms my belief that they may be more trouble than we initially realized. Do you want the short or long version of this explanation, Captain?"

"Short version, sir," responded Miarko, grinning slightly, "You know about my horrible attention span."

Spyro chuckled lightly, "Indeed, Miarko, I do. In that case," he said, "I'll give you the short version. Congeria is the name belonging to one of the Ancient Ancestors that were worshipped some millennia ago as gods by _our_ actual Ancestors. Some individuals in Warfangian society today worship our forefathers and foremothers as the "Ancestors" but the truth of the matter is that the term Ancestors simply means "Those Who Came Before."

He continued, "Congeria was a member of the Ancient Draconian Pantheon, each member of which was devoted to a different sphere of influence if you will. One was associated with the sun, another the source of magic that flows through our world, and another was the symbol of motherhood, family, care and love. And another one watched over order, righteousness and justice. There are quite a few more, but I am only making examples. Does that make sense?"

"Yes, Sir," responded Miarko, "Please continue."

Spyro nodded his head and said, "There is peripheral evidence that these Ancestors still exist today, and their paws have subtle influences in our world, and can sometimes shift the very nature of our surrounding just by committing slight acts of influence in the Realms. In this case, the Ancestors seek to further their own interests and bring about a world in their image, but their counterparts stop them due to them doing the exact same thing. In a sense, a balance is preserved in this way and has remained for a countless number of years."

The Fire Dragon took a moment to mull over everything that the Director had told him, "I only have one question, Director," he responded, "If all of these Ancestors have their own roles, what is Congeria's?"

"A good question," responded Spyro, nodding his head, "You see, Congeria isn't actually the _true_ name of this Ancestor. It's just one of her many monikers, another name that we call her by. Her true name is simply _Chaos_. I'm sure you know now what her area of influence is. Chaos, destruction, invention. Anything that turns the tide away from the stagnation of order."

"How come I've never heard of this….Ancestor before, sir?" asked the Fire Dragon, still probing for more information from his superior.

"She's not worshipped as much as the others in the pantheon, if you want to call their group as such. There was some disagreement long ago between the members of the Ancestors, and she was cast out by the others. This did eventually lead to her demise."

"I see," stated the Fire Captain simply, not sure what to make of this information.

The Purple Dragon laughed at this, a deep and hearty laugh. Miarko had always thought his voice and laugh sounded like one of those portrayals of a benevolent monarch that the Fire Dragon had seen in a local theater back in Warfang. It only added to the charisma that the Purple Dragon possessed himself.

"I know none of this interests you, Captain," said Spyro, sighing as he finished with his deep laugh, "You Primes are almost insufferable when topics of religion come up...but, no matter. I believe we are almost to our destination, are we not?"

Miarko averted his gaze from Spyro, taking a look around at his surroundings. Terron was speaking to Cynder several meters away from the Director and Captain, he could barely overhear a few words, the rest were blocked out by the roaring wind. Something about the Grand Library of Warfang. Miarko smirked at that, the Lieutenant was nothing without his books and traditions. He almost admired that about him, the devotedness to the structure of society and culture that he saw each and every day out of the Earth Dragon. It was admirable, if nothing else.

Looking around again, it was fully apparent that the four had flown some distance away from Warfang. Looking behind himself, Miarko could see the city's walls as a small speck beyond the horizon. It was beautiful from this vantage, but this was coming from a hometown lover, so maybe that assessment was more than a little biased…

Turning back to the flight path ahead of them, it was clearly visible to make out the Avalarian Road. The main thoroughfare around the continent, the road run through all the way to Warfang. It was often-traveled by Merchants from cities, towns and villages all around the continent. That was why the wreckage had been discovered quickly...and why the attack had been all the more shocking. The last raid this close to Warfang had been years prior, and the previous before that even longer before hand. Either one of the Bandit Clans had grown more bolder, or something else was afoot.

"We've arrived, Director," said Miarko, responding to Spyro's question, pointing to an area a short distance in front of them on the road.

Spyro nodded silently and made a signal to his counterpart and Terron. They both nodded and began their own descent.

A short time later, all four of the group were on the ground, surveying the wreckage before them.

There were a few wrecked caravans around the area, as well as a few members of the Warfang military. The section of the Avalarian had been cordoned off at the request of the DOW, and soldiers had been poking around here and there. According to Miarko's reports, however, they had been unable to make any significant discoveries.

Cynder paced to the front, nodding as she began, "Alright. We need to fan out here and cover more ground. Lieutenant, ask the soldiers around and get the story that they've uncovered so far. If they've discovered anything of note, relay it to either spyro or myself."

Terron nodded and set about talking to the nearest soldier to him, who saluted the Lieutenant immediately. Whether it was out of respect or the Lieutenant demanding for it was up for debate.

Turning to Miarko next, she said, "Captain, examine the area around the caravans, specially _not_ on the road. Perhaps the attackers dropped something without noticing. A badge, weapon, piece of armor, anything that might help us identify who did this and what their plans are."

"Understood, I'll begin my search," said the Captain, beginning to walk away.

"We'll be here, searching the caravans. Good luck," finished Cynder.

* * *

An hour or two or later, it was quickly becoming clear that the group would not find anything. They had reconvened a few minutes prior, with no new information. Terron's interviewing had dug up no findings, and the search by the other three had uncovered nothing. Cynder had insisted that they continued for more time, and had set all members out to continue their findings.

Miarko knelt down on the ground, sighing to himself and shaking his head. He hadn't found anything of note. A few discarded arrows meant that the raiders had been bipedal, but that didn't mean much more than they already knew; the bandits in the area were mainly comprised bipedal individuals anyways.

He rustled around in some grass where he found another arrow. Sighing, he turned it over and around a few times, not seeing anything of interest at first glance. It was another iron arrow, the same as all of the dozen others that he had discovered so far. Portions of the head of the arrow were slightly charred, indicating that it had been used a fire arrow, something to burn the area around it. Portions of the Caravans were burned, indicating this arrow had been used in combat...just like the other arrows that the Fire Dragon had discovered.

Wait.

He quickly turned the arrow over again.

There was writing on the shaft of the arrow.

" _Surgant, magistra est in damnatis."_

To Miarko's great shame, he didn't speak the old languages. But…

Walking quickly back towards the caravans, he looked around for the two Directors. They were nearby, inspecting the wheels of the last unit in the group.

Walking quickly up to the pair, he spoke quickly, "Madame Director, I think I found something."

Cynder looked up and rose to her paws. Approaching him, the Black Dragoness took the arrow from the Captain's paw.

Looking over the inscription herself, she read the old language out loud again, "Surgant, magistra est in damnatis."

Her eyes narrowed at his, as if she was considering the language very carefully. The dragoness took great consideration into the way of translating this text, like she does with everything else, trying to piece together the language word by word. Then, it came to her.

"Rise, mistress of the damned."

Cynder's eyes widened as she said the phrase aloud, earning a questioning Miarko saying, "Madame Director? What does that mean?"

Cynder didn't answer, instead choosing to shake her head, her face showing just a slight hint of worry. Spyro put a paw on her shoulder, and turned to Miarko. His answer would mean more than Miarko realized.

"They're going to attempt to revive Congeria."

(Hey, Hawk here! I think this was a pretty good moment to end the chapter! Because I love my cliffhangers. Quite literally…. Sorry for the bird-pun but still. Also changed the chapter name. )

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you a thousand times for reading! Sorry for the lack of updates over the previous weeks, but both me and Mike has had it busy with real life, classes and we've both been ill at the same time! Fortunately I am clearing up a bit and I hope Mike will be back on his feet soon.**

 **Please leave a review if you have anything to say, it helps us a lot! (** _ **And we appreciate both compliments and constructive criticism equally!**_ **) If this A/N ended up a little "rambly" It's because it's Hawk signing this one off, Mike will most likely be back long before it is time for the next one, so stay tuned 'til then! /Hawk & Mike signing off.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Call of the Ancestors**

 **Chapter 4: Unexpected Commands**

It was late afternoon and Miarko had no idea what he was doing.

The captain's desk was not the most organized. Papers from weeks prior sat in rather disarray around where he sat, and it was slightly clear that he did not keep his reports in the highest of regards. That was not why he was upset, however.

A single paper sat in the clean portion of the desk, the area that sat in front of where the Fire Captain sat. The title was written slightly heavier, darker and larger than the rest of the text, in an effort to make it more easily readable. It was important.

 _ **Attack on Avalarian traders: Potential of the Anointed Ones**_

It was a new thing for the Captain to have to write words such as those. Bandit clans had never had... _potential_ before. They had been, well, Bandits. Sure, there had been the 'Claws attack on the city several years prior, but that had been on the small settlements that lied outside the walls. Never before had the Captain needed to report on the details regarding the _power potential_ of a group of cutthroats.

Could he even call them that any more? _The 'Noints_ , as the recruits had begun to refer to the group, had apparently mustered together one of the most well organized groups that Miarko had ever seen. Caravan attacks were common without escorts, as such often were expensive, and hence usually only caravans from well off places such as the Dragon city itself and others could afford such services. This, however?

Attacking fully-guarded transports with professional mercenaries? That had happened only a handful of times throughout Miarko's _entire career._ Now it was happening on the weekly. And there was next to nothing the DOW could do to stop them. As the attacks seemingly was sporadic, almost to the point of random with no clear patterns to follow. Yet so perfectly executed that nearly no traces were left to show that they had been the ones responsible, neither to where they go after said raids were complete. It was clear that the 'Noints had intel inside the Warfangian army, and of the DOW itself. If either group went for a caravan, they would just attack another, more vulnerable one.

The question remained, however...Why? Why attack this many caravans? Some of the goods have been left behind in the last attack, some high-profit. It wasn't beneficial to leave behind so much profit. There was only one thing that connected each attack.

All of the occupants of the caravans were missing. Even the animals tasked with driving the carts forwards sometimes, if they hadn't been slain during the attacks.

What the 'Noints were doing with as many individuals as they had taken, Miarko couldn't say. But it was something that they all needed to get to the bottom of. They had to.

There was a light knock at the door, breaking Miarko from his thoughts, "Come in," he said, propping up in his seat to look more professional.

Lieutenant Terron's green scales came into his gaze, and the Captain relaxed slightly, "Lieutenant," he said, "What can I do for you?"

"Captain," began Terron in his always-authoritative sounding voice, "The directors wish to see you and your report details."

"Why?" asked the Captain, confused, "They were there with us. What else do we need to go over?"

"I don't know, Captain. They just said to get for you. It wasn't urgent, I can tell you that at least," replied the Lieutenant.

Miarko sighed, nodded and said, "I'll go up in a minute. Thank you, Terron. You're dismissed."

Terron turned towards the door before Miarko spoke up again, "I mean that. You're dismissed. Take the rest of the day off."

Terron nodded with an understanding smile, saying, "I understand, Captain. See you tomorrow."

The Lieutenant left the room then, leaving the Captain alone. Miarko gathered his thoughts and walked towards the door. Closing the door behind him, he began his trudging up the stairs slowly. He took a moment to look out on Warfang through a window which he was passing on his way up. It was late afternoon now, he had but an hour or two before he was expected at the café down below. He was hoping that this meeting didn't take longer than he hoped. Making it up to the top floor, he knocked on the door lightly.

A moment later, Cynder opened the door. Oddly, the other director was nowhere to be found in the office.

"Captain, please come in. Have a seat," she said, rounding the desk and sitting back down herself.

Miarko walked slowly to the chair on the other side of the desk and sat down. There were a few moments of uncomfortable silence as the Captain wondered what the Director could possibly need at this time.

"Madame Director," he began slowly, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Captain…" she said, her head facing downwards for a moment, "I'm not sure how to begin this conversation. I assume you have no idea why I called you here."

Miarko shook his head, "No, Madame Director, I do not."

"Well," she began, seemingly choosing her words carefully, "As you know, I am...well involved with the DOW. I try to meet with each captain and Lieutenant every month for performance and personal reviews. I have held two such meetings today and yesterday, and there have been some...rumors circulating about your personal life that I need clarification on."

Miarko could already see where this conversation was leading, "Ah. That."

"Captain, it is not my job nor my place to tell you what to do with your, ah, _personal endeavors_ ," said Cynder, staring him in the eyes now, and her usually kind jade eyes was now giving a feeling of unsettling sternness, "I do not have the time or patience to deal with such things. Only when they impede the operation of this organization are they brought to my attention."

"Meaning?"

"The individuals I spoke to told me two things, Captain," she replied, "That you are something a philanderer, and that you are taking out Captain Sethelis this evening. Am I correct?"

Miarko lowered his head as he spoke softly, "You are correct on both counts, my lady."

"And this leads to the fact that you have lied with upwards of 30 females just this year alone?"

"Yes, madame director."

Cynder sighed and put a paw to her face, "That is something to process, Captain," she remained silent for a few moments before continuing, "Then you know I must ask, what are your intentions regarding the Shadow?"

"I can't tell you that at this time, Madame," replied Miarko truthfully.

Cynder nodded with her eyes closed, "I understand. 'Where the night takes us,' is a term I've heard before, Captain."

She remained silent for a few moments more before looking up at Miarko, "Captain, I'm not one that normally gets involved in intra-organizational relationships, but I must step in. I am afraid that I cannot permit you to 'romance' the Shadows' Captain. This would be a distraction for all those involved in both platoons and I cannot allow such a thing to transpire while we are facing the _Congeria_ situation."

Miarko looked down in defeat. He had expected such a thing to happen if the Director found out. Intra-organizational relationships were not normally frowned upon, but the Fire Captain had achieved something of a sinister relationship over the years in that regard. He did not agree with the decision, but he did understand it.

"I...Understand, Cynder," he replied simply as he looked back up at her and inquired, "We have a meeting this evening, as you know, Director. Should I-"

"I will send Lieutenant Terron to fetch her. You are not permitted to see her outside the walls of this tower," replied the Director firmly, unwavering, "This cannot serve as a distraction to our current objective."

Miarko, still not meeting her gaze, replied, "Is there anything else, Director?"

"No, however I wish for you to stay here until I tell either you or Captain Sethelis otherwise." replied the Black Dragoness as she turned around and faced towards the window.

Miarko felt as if a a very heavy weight had been laid upon him all of a sudden.

What a day.

* * *

Having a surge of inspiration once or twice cannot hurt in the great journey most commonly referred to as "Life". Life is usually uplifted or downright pulled into chaos by such surges. They can be within the mind of one or several groups of individuals. It was safe to say that Sethelis was experiencing one of these surges.

She had prepared for this single event for…way too many hours. At least many more than an average dragon would have.

But since when had average made the cut?

The dragoness looked over everything one more time. She had made a quick swoop up to her office, making sure she had no paperwork demanding her presence any further than what she could've afforded to skip. She had arranged so that her schedule was free for the evening, and luckily enough, she had somehow made it possible. A Shadow was actually on the job at all times, 'round the clock. But even if it seemed like every Shadow were just as busy as an commanding officer with a squad of their own they were a surprisingly big compartment consisting of several teams.

These units, usually consisting of up to five people, usually didn't know about any other divisions in the compartment other than their own. This minimized the risks of someone going rogue or being able to either accidentally or willingly tell some secrets to people who weren't supposed to know. The only people whom sat on such top secret information were the two Directors, Spyro and Cynder. And Sethelis of course, being the captain of said compartment. She was responsible for keeping lots of secrets, many of which she didn't want to know in the first place.

However… This was unlike getting to hear any other secret which had ever been conceived during Sethelis' whole career.

No, this was something that went far and long out of her, honestly, pretty small comfort zone. She had read books on how to be social, what to talk about, what to not talk about. What to do and not to do." _It is merely like upkeeping a cover, except I am going undercover as myself. As Sethelis, and not as the Captain of the Shadow department. And my cover is… Uh… Myself. With my mission to actually getting to know a hot-... A very striking dragon."_ The dragoness thought to herself as she flew, the lovely weather and afternoon sun this warm mid-late summer evening which shone down on the glistening streets and buildings was warming her, not a single cloud as far as the eye could see.

And as she was making her way, gliding through the air gracefully with a few flaps with her wings, taking her towards the floating island of the DOW tower and the smaller part of " _Culinary Street_ " which had been taken with it, she could actually feel a strange form of excitement. Culinary Street was a pre-war popular road near the heart of the city. It was lined with shops, cafés, bakeries and restaurants and usually was known as one of the many cultural centres of the grand Dragon City.

Now a big part of said street was up in the sky, which was both appreciated by the DOW soldiers and those visitors who felt like taking a lunch in the outdoors with a lovely view. This did spell some trouble, however, since most of the road had needed to be rebuilt, given the fact that a big chunk of the neighbourhood had been taken to the skies, restricting clientele for the establishments remaining below the floating island.

The dragoness would land, not without wobbling a little, given that she is one leg short, upon the stone-tiled ground, her claws clattering against the hard surface as she limped over towards the little lovely outdoors service area of the closeby and most popular establishment. She had been planning to wait for the Captain there, as he'd probably come around any minute now.

So Sethelis sat down on her haunches at a table, getting herself comfortable, her wings pressed against her back as they always does when she is slightly nervous, awaiting the Captain of the 17'th to arrive… However, after what seemed like hours, someone addressed her., but it wasn't a voice she was familiar with.

"Uh...Captain Sethelis?" came a voice from behind the Captain, "Is that you?"

Sethelis would turn around, a fleeting and yet slightly surprised look on her face, before she saw that the dragon was wearing armor of the DOW withe the mark of an LT. Her facial expression went from confused to factual.

"Yes, that is me, now if you don't mind, I am awaiting an associate, so please be brief." She requested the Earth dragon.

"Uh, indeed. I'm aware that you're awaiting the arrival of Captain Miarko, correct?" spoke the Lieutenant.

Sethelis would nod, "Yes. Did something come up?" She asks, the Captain corrected her eyepatch slightly as she spoke, looking over at the Lieutenant with an attentive eye.

"Yes...I've been sent to let you know that Captain Miarko can no longer attend this evening by the order of Director Cynder. She would speak to you, when available," said the Lieutenant, clearing his throat as he finished.

Sethelis would stand up, her wings fluttering slightly, turning to face the Lieutenant fully. "Then what are we waiting for? If the Captain can't come, and the Director is requesting me…" She stated, looking over at the sun for a brief moment; It was indeed starting to set. "Then I see no need to keep her waiting. Walk with me."

A short time later, both the Lieutenant and Captain found themselves outside the door of the Directory. Most of the offices had been empty on their flight upwards. Most of the occupants had departed for the evening, but the light near the top of the tower was still lit.

The Lieutenant nodded and offered a paw, "My apologies that we had to meet under such circumstances, but I, uh, wanted to introduce myself at least. Lieutenant Terron, 17th Platoon."

Sethelis took a deep breath, her nostrils flaring slightly. She got slightly snapped out of her calming state by the voice of the Lieutenant breaking the silence which had lasted during the majority of their journey up along the dwindling length of the tall DOW tower. Sometimes Seth caught herself wishing they had one of those elevators installed inside, even if she very well knew it'd be more efficient to simply fly…

"Don't you worry, Terron. You were merely following orders, I assume. Sethelis, Captain of the Shadows," She said, giving him the paw he seemingly sought for. She said, "Consider yourself dismissed, LT," over her shoulder, before knocking on the Madame Director's door. Even if she is sought after, Sethelis likes to address her arrival to higher command.

"Enter." came the voice of Cynder, and Sethelis stepped inside.

She would be greeted with the sight of Cynder behind her desk, and at one of the cushions in front of it was Miarko. The Shadow Captain would raise a scaly brow, limping over. "You requested my presence, Madame Director?" She says, looking over at Cynder and paying the Fire dragon next to her no attention for now.

"Yes, thank you for coming on such short notice," she said, "I'm sorry for retrieving you at such a late hour.

Sethelis would shake her head dismissively at the Director pardoning her actions. "You know that a Shadow never really rests." She explained to the dragoness across the desk, "May I sit?" She proceeds to ask. "Standing on three legs is rather tiresome compared to all four, as you should know…"

"Please do," she said, motioning to a chair on the far side of the room, "I assume the Lieutenant gave you a brief overview of the situation?"

Sethelis would once more gain the look of confusion. This was the second time this very evening. She went over and got herself the chair, placed it before the desk and got herself up and sat down on her haunches. Feeling the comfortable cushioning making it a near heavenly experience to just rest her legs after the long climb of the stairs to the Directorate floor. "I am afraid I was practically left in the dark, something I normally doesn't appreciate. All I know is that Captain Miarko here couldn't come to a appointment and that you requested my presence." She explains, putting a blue-grey paw on the shining polished oak surface of the desk.

"I apologize for interrupting your, ahm, appointment, but this is something that cannot go forward," replied the Director sternly.

"Seeing as how you are seemingly unaware of it, I must inform you of the reputation Captain Miarko has within these walls. He is something of a philanderer, Captain Sethelis. Adulterer. A ladies' man, if you will. While he has not deigned to inform me of the full potential of your relationship, he has admitted to bedding upwards of 30 individuals in the last year. I have forbid him from seeing you as a result, which is why I will not allow you to see each other outside these walls. Is that clear?"

Sethelis, who usually tried to keep internal struggles to a minimum in the face of authority who was above her in rank and file, let her maw fall wide agape for a mere second. Her jaws snapped themselves shut with a force that arguably could've snapped a thick tree branch in half a moment later, however. She tried to raise a paw as if to further her point, sadly she accidentally tried to move her restricted limb, leading to a pain striking her like lightning. The dragoness grimaced slightly, before trying to ignore the pain which pulsed from her healing bones.

Her fangs remained closely shut as she addressed her one word of opinion:

" _Fuck._ " She blatantly says through gritted fangs.

She cleared her throat and shuffled slightly in her seat upon uttering her next sentence. "Pardon my language, Madame Director. But I must object here. What we do outside of these walls are most likely none of your concern. Do you not trust in my abilities to keep work and relations apart and separate? Because that is what I have been doing for the past six years!" She said, her eye meeting the adamant gaze of Cynder, whom didn't seem to take any pity in the Shadow Captain's words. Sethelis hadn't noticed the volume of her voice rising as she was talking, and at the end of her sentence she had almost been at the point of yelling.

"Simply put, Captain," she responded, unfazed by the Shadow's attitude, "It is not you I do not trust. It is him," she said, pointing at Miarko, "Bringing his ways into this organization would be a distraction for both of you and the platoons themselves, especially the 17th. I will not allow his childish treatment of females to roll over into this organization. That is final."

"But I…" Sethelis was just about to object again, looking over at Miarko for a brief moment, as if to go to the male for advice on what to say. Her look asks him one single question. If looks could talk, hers would say " _You're good with words, talk her out of it!"_.

Before she sighed in defeat, Sethelis' shoulders seemingly lowered as if she had held her breath through the entire conversation. "... Yes, Madame director." She said, admitting crushing defeat, looking down at the desk as if she was a hatchling being scolded for raiding the pantry for the sweets.

"Captain Miarko, Captain Sethelis. You are both dismissed. I expect no further inquiries on this subject," said the Director. She then promptly turned and left the room and headed towards Spyro's office, leaving the two alone. Sethelis and Miarko simply sat there in a minute or two, neither of them uttered a word.

Until Sethelis decided to break the silence which seemingly spellbound them both,

"So… 30, huh?"

"Yes," replied the Fire captain simply, not uttering any other words.

"... And was I supposedly merely number 31?" Sethelis then proceeds to ask, looking over at Miarko slightly, She would use her tail to angle the Captain's chair so that the two were sitting snout-to-snout.

"Not necessarily," he replied, a blank state on his face.

Sethelis' one eye met Miarko's two for a brief second. He seemed slightly… Empty to her right now, if she could put it that way. A dead gaze.

"So… No more flirting in the waiting room, I suppose?"

"No."

"Nothing? This is the end of the line?" The shadow dragoness asked, she felt like she wanted him to say something else. Something other than that one cursed word.

"I'm sorry." he replied as he stood up from the table and exited the room; Sethelis could hear scraping on the balcony outside a moment later, and the unfurling of wings.

With that, he was gone.

Sethelis simply sat there in the chair, in the near-empty office which appeared slightly darker all of a sudden. Looking at the door which Miarko had left open slightly. She could feel a very unhappy feeling in her chest right now. And she didn't like it, not one bit.

* * *

 **AN: First off, you have my apologies.**

 **Second, thank you to the many of you that have been reading this story so far into its brief existence! We have had around 1,000 hits so far and a few of you have honored us with follows, favorites and reviews. Please know that we read every review and PM, but don't have time to get back to all of them. All the same, we appreciate each and every piece of feedback we receive!**

 **Thank you again for reading, and we'll see you again very soon.**

 **-Mike & Hawk**


	5. Chapter 5

**Call of The Ancestors**

 **Chapter 5: "Oh, I'm not willing to hurt you, she is…"**

A sharp knock at Miarko's door woke him the next morning.

The Fire Dragon nearly fell out of his bed as it echoed through the stone room. Stumbling to his paws, he tried to at least make himself presentable before answering the door. It was at least an hour before dawn, according to the lack of light outside on the Captain's balcony. Who could be knocking for him this early in the morning?

"Just a moment!" shouted the Captain at the door as he polished himself quickly in key places before heading to the entryway.

Opening it slowly, the familiar green scales of Lieutenant Terron met the Captain's eyes. Miarko sighed, internally groaning as he was wondering what the Earth Dragon was doing here so early in the morning.

"Lieutenant," he began, yawning as he spoke, "What, uh, what can I do for you?"

In what was seemingly the first time of his life, Terron was _not_ fully armored. The Dragon's bare scales shown out for the first time since Miarko had met the Captain a year prior. Terron was nothing without his tradition and position, that was without doubt.

"Captain, good morning to you," said the Lieutenant, who paused for a moment, the obvious look of hindsight appearing upon his face before continuing, "I-... I woke you, didn't I?"

"Yes, yes you did, Terron." said the Fire dragon, grinning slightly, "But that's alright. Question persists, though. What can I do for you?"

The Lieutenant looked down then. For some reason, the rather simple question was causing him some sort of emotional stress.

"Captain, uh, this isn't exactly easy for me to ask you," began Terron, "But, well, we've been working together for slightly over a year now, and I feel as if you've never really gotten to know me, and vice versa. So...I wanted to come by and ask if you'd like to grab breakfast this morning."

Miarko was, needless to say, slightly shocked by the proposition. In the thirteen months that the Fire dragon had known the Lieutenant since he had been transferred to his command, this was a first. Fraternization was, of course, encouraged by the Defenders, but this was unprecedented for the Lieutenant. The Captain had never seen Terron's personality outside of the workplace. They had even lived just down the hall from each other for all those months and had never gone out, gotten a drink, anything. And yet, despite all of those facts…

"Lieutenant, if you'd just give me a few minutes, I'd be happy to join you," responded the Captain, grinning lightly.

Terron smiled at that and nodded, saying, "Understood, Captain. I'll wait for you here."

Miarko nodded and closed the door behind him, walking back into his living quarters. Heading to the washroom, he lit a few candles and oil lamps with his element and looked in the mirror on the wall in front of him. He sighed in disgust as he looked at himself. His frills and horns looked unpolished, _unprofessional_. It was unbecoming of a Captain of the Defenders to look as he did. The Fire dragon took a few moments to further polish himself in the places that he had been unable to a few moments prior. The large black frill under his chin was the area of the most work. It was larger than the rest of the growths that lined his face and took more time to clean out and polish to look desirable. Despite this, the Fire dragon thought it was one of his more attractive features. Of course, he wasn't looking much like an attractive dragon after the events from the day prior.

He sighed at that thought and shook his head. The entire Sethelis situation had been nothing but a disaster. The Fire dragon had always been afraid that his… _Irresponsible_ personal life would spill over into the workplace, but not this early into his career. That being said, what could he have done? He couldn't help himself when he had met the Shadow's captain. He had developed preferences over the years, and she fit the bill on almost all of them.

He shook his head again at that point, and pounded his fisted paw onto the counter. Why had he been so stupid? Mixing work and pleasure would have never flown with the Madame Director. He was sure that Spyro might've been able to look past this, but Cynder was, as always, adamant in her opinion.

The two directors had always kept their relationship far from the walls of the tower in the first place, anyways. Work was the most important thing on their minds, seeing each other was always second. They weren't so young as to need each other in every moment of the day, the two had grown out of that many years prior. Miarko too, wasn't one to get distracted. But...The director had spoken. And the Captain had to leave it at that.

Finishing up in the washroom and nodding that he had done a satisfactory job at cleaning himself up, he snuffed out the oil lamps and proceeded back out. Locking both doors behind him.

Facing Terron, who was leaning up against a wall. He said, "Ready to go, Terron?"

Terron nodded his head slightly and waved a paw towards the stairs, "Let's go." The Lieutenant said briefly, as the two ventured outside.

A short flight later, the two had found themselves at a small café on Culinary Street. It was one of Miarko's favorite places to go for breakfast and lunch while on break. The café was the place where had been supposed to meet Sethelis the night prior, to his great discomfort. But it had been Terron's suggestion and the Captain dared not to refuse the Lieutenant's request.

The first portion of the meeting had been somewhat silent, both males settling in and becoming comfortable with the casual personality of the other. Miarko had selected the same type of eggs that he had become accustomed to since coming here for the first time. The whole idea of eating eggs was something that dragon kind always needed accustomization to, much to the amusement of their fellows, the Cheetah and Moles. It was a nice place. Terron had ordered some sort of dark and corny bread. They had so many types at this establishment, Miarko hadn't caught the exact product. Regardless, after they ordered, there was a slight silence that dropped over the two males, several awkward minutes passed with none of the two saying a word.

Miarko cleared his throat and spoke up first, "So...I've never asked. Where are you from, originally?"

Terron, who was sitting up with great posture, nodded at the question, "I'm originally from the Shattered Vale. I don't know if you're familiar…?"

Miarko nodded his head, "Of course I am. Studied geography at the academy like everyone else. That's slightly far to the north of here, correct?"

"Indeed," affirmed the Earth dragon, "Mostly a forested region up on the north side of the mainland, has a big ravine going through the majority of the area. It's much colder than down here on the southern side."

"We don't exactly get a lot of snow down here," said the Fire dragon, laughing, "What is the political state up there? Still voting on the referendum?"

"It's to be held in the next month, to my understanding," responded Terron, "Whether it gets approved or not, it would be big step for my community."

Miarko nodded, then shook his head, "Indeed. The first formal territorial acquisition for Warfang in...well, ever. As far as I know."

"I believe you are correct, Captain," Terron affirmed, "It'd be a big step for the Grand Council. Governing more individuals than they are already? It's a big task for both them and the Guardians."

"Terrador, Cyril and Volteer are much older than they used to be. Even with the new Fire Guardian, they're in no position to help rule after such an acquisition," responded the Fire dragon, "They'll be stepping down from their posts within the next few weeks. Mark my words. Let's just hope that their successors were as full of potential as they had been when the Guardians first recruited them as apprentices..."

Terron laughed lightly, shaking his head, "Indeed...as riveting as this political discussion has been, Captain, I'm sure you'd like to discuss something else."

The Captain chuckled himself, looking down and nodding. The Lieutenant had learned something about him at least over the last year.

"What about you, Captain?" asked the Lieutenant.

"Where am I from?" asked Miarko, one eye ridge raised, "What, you can't tell from my accent?"

"Not much of a people person, Captain," replied the Earth dragon, scratching the back of his neck, "Can't tell one thing from another."

"Ah, I forget myself at times, Lieutenant," affirmed the Fire Captain, "Well, to clarify, I was born and raised here, in Warfang. My parents are from elsewhere, but I was born here. I guess I still have a bit of an Avalarian accent, according to my Draconian instructor back in the Academy. It's not as bad as my parents, but it could be worse, I suppose."

Terron leaned in slightly, affirming that he was at least somewhat interested in what the Fire Captain had to say, "I had no idea your family was from the Avalarian Valleys. What Settlement?"

"Ah, are you familiar with Ignidium?"

"Of course, Captain. Renamed after the former Fire Guardian following the War. I remember."

"My parents lived there originally, but after Malefor's armies began to threaten the Valleys, they moved elsewhere. Eventually came here and settled," finished the Fire drago, nodding.

"So they still live in the City?" asked Terron.

"Ah, my father does, yes. My mother was a soldier during the Battle of Warfang. She, well, she was killed during the fighting."

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Terron, frowning sadly.

"I appreciate it. It's been ten years, both my father and I have moved on as best we could," replied the Fire dragon, smiling lightly.

Miarko's mother, Ciera, had been a footsoldier during the war, just like her husband, Bertrion and Miarko himself. Most of the Dragons of Warfang had volunteered to defend their home during the Siege, but not all of them had come home, joining the Ancestors prematurely.

"Speaking of which," began Miarko, "Where is your family, Lieutenant?"

"Still back in the Vale, far as I know," he replied, "I do not write them as often as I should."

"Any siblings?"

"Two sisters and a brother. All Earth Dragons, as I'm sure you'd expect."

"Ah, two parents of the same element, hm? Let me guess, they're loyalists."

"Heh, you're spot on, Captain."

" _Loyalists"_ , or _conservatives_ in some circles, made up a majority of the population of Warfang. They were those individuals that were loyal to, or supported, the Grand Council and Guardians in their leadership. Miarko considered himself a loyalist, despite his parents being _Moderates_ themselves. His mother had been an Earth Dragon, and his father a Fire dragon. Inter-element pairs were not uncommon, but the pairings tended to be of the more liberal elements of the City politics.

"What about you, Captain?" asked Terron, leaning back into his chair slightly, "Any siblings?"

"One sister. I don't know where she is now," responded Miarko, shrugging.

"Why?"

"Madeia was always the adventurous type, liked to explore and educate others. She took a trip north, heading to the kingdoms up there. I haven't heard from her in...it's probably been two years now. She and my father never saw eye to eye, wanted to get away. We had a good relationship, but I never get any letters. Not that it's easy to do when you're separated by an ocean."

"Think you'll ever see her again?"

"You mean if she's not dead? I don't know. She might have moved up that way permanently, I might find out one day. For now, it's just my father and I."

"You've had a unique life, Captain."

"Heh, that I have, Lieutenant. Wouldn't trade it for the all the Realms."

* * *

It was with a bitter taste in her mouth that Sethelis woke up the next morning. She had not been sleeping well.

Well. As well as someone could sleep if they had slept with a desktop as their pillow. With her maw hanging open and snoring loudly for several hours. She hadn't been bothered to fly home last night, and she knew that the one thing being able to make her forget this disaster of a evening was work. The dragoness groaned slightly as she opened her eye, feeling a sore annoyance in her neck as she lifted her head from the wooden surface.

She didn't need a mirror to know that she looked bad, the reflection of her shining desk showing her two things; Her usually pristine yellow eye looked tired to say the least, with red veins blotting the usually plain yellow orb, and her scales had lost their pretty sheen. Something she didn't appreciate one bit.

That, and she had misplaced her eyepatch. She couldn't for the love of the Ancestors remember where she did put it last night, as she had a habit to remove it and put it on her night table before sleep.

Sethelis used a wing to rub the sleep out of her eye before blinking a few times, her yellow and milky white pair of eyes were looking back at her. "Well…" She sighed to herself, her voice being coarse and raspy. She cleared her throat before getting up, feeling her joints crack and stretch from their half-cramped state, having been sitting on her haunches and laying on her desk at the same time.

The blue-black dragoness felt hunger dig itself into her, and her stomach made its unpleasantness known by rumbling audibly.

"Well. I suppose no one's around yet, might as well go get breakfast." She said to herself, limping her way out of her familiar and serenely calming office.

Except for the early-risers, the Captains Floor of the DOW tower usually wasn't considered "busy" until the early afternoon, and the few whom Sethelis met usually greeted her with a quick and polite "'Morning." as one does. She could almost sense some of them flinching upon for once seeing her most obvious battle-damage. She usually wasn't keen on going out without her iconic eyepatch, but that morning she just couldn't be arsed to try and find it.

She would limp over to an open window, before pouncing out and using her wings to glide down along the beautiful marble spire that was the tower itself.

Maybe she'll go for a light snack a one of the cafés…?

* * *

Miarko was in the middle of listening to Terron addressing a few points he'd liked to mention to the Captain in person regarding the 17'th, when he saw a very…unwelcome sight. He'd remember that dragoness wherever he saw her.

And she was not amongst the people Miarko wished to talk with right now. The fire captain felt that he needed to almost dodge under the table, or at least lower himself down somewhat to avoid detection, even if the dragoness most likely lacked depth perception and peripheral perception on her right paw side.

Actually… Miarko wasn't sure if she could even see with her right eye at all. So after a brief moment of thinking, Miarko asked the Lieutenant sitting opposite to him at their table: "Terron… I think you've got a little something on your wing." he said, which led to the wanted effect. The Lieutenant did spread his wings slightly, and looked at the Captain with a confused look on his face.

"I'm sorry Miarko, but I can't see anything." He said, studying his wings a little closer. Miarko simply smiled, pretending to look closely. "Oh, but Terron I am sure I could see something…"

Luckily, Miarko discovered that he hadn't any need to keep the charade up much longer, given the fact that he saw Sethelis take a seat with her back turned to their table at the opposite side of the cafe's outdoors area.

He let out a sigh, "I must've just imagined things, sorry about that, Terron." He said dismissively earning a look containing more than a little annoyance from the Lieutenant across the table.

However, Terron and Miarko had quickly gotten back to talking, their light conversation going from politics to foods, and from there it went, to Miarko's slight discomfort, to things like dinners. Which in turn did indeed lead to the dreaded topic of "dragonesses". Miarko rolled his eyes as he heard Terron bringing it up:

"Speaking of a good roasted deer, there was this one dragoness I used to be with ages ago who had a craving for it. All the time." The earth dragon stated, after having ordered yet another one of those breads he had been casually eating all morning. The green dragon looked at his significantly younger superior as he asked: "... So Miarko, I know this might be a sensitive topic." He starts, fiddling a little with the bludgeon-esque tip of his tail. "But are there any favorites out of, well, all of your previous "conquests"?"

Miarko usually didn't mind talking about it with his friends, but someone like Terron whom most likely had only heard the common rumors was a little harder than the fire captain had anticipated.

"Any favorites?" He started, subconsciously giving the frill under his chin a stroke with a paw as he thought on the question, mental images of his previous lovers, flings and possible mates flashed by in front of his inner eye…. Some of his memories more or less innocent than others.

And after a few odd minutes of Miarko thinking on it, Terron did come with a suggestion.

"I have to admit that I personally think it was a shame you aren't allowed to be with Sethelis and all that. I mean… If you don't mind me saying this, sir, She is quite the looker." Miarko openly sighed upon hearing that name. He had hoped that he could clear his mind of that dragoness until the _Congeria issue_ had been handled. But as if a cruel gesture from the Prime Mover himself, she kept on appearing either by spotting her in the DOW tower or possibly making an appearance in his thoughts.

They said that " _All roads lead to Warfang_ ", but Miarko couldn't agree with it. It seems he is caught in the dilemma that was described as " _All thoughts leads to Her."_

"Yes, yes she is. It's ironic, you know. Last night, if someone had made it differently, me and her could've been sitting by a table at this very cafe. It could have been-"

"Captain, Lieutenant?" shouted a voice from across the cafe. Both men turned around to find a private from the 17th striding in.

The private walked up to the table and saluted, before quickly saying, "Sirs, the Directors have requested your presence back at the Tower."

"What for?" asked Miarko.

"For a… Delicate matter."

* * *

"Captains, Lieutenant, Shadows, thank you for coming on such short notice".

Cynder paced in front of Sethelis and a pair of her Shadows, Miarko and Terron. She...did not seem pleased.

"I assume you've both been briefed on the _Congeria situation_ , Shadows?"

The two shadows whom had joined Sethelis upon arrival, a pair of male dragons whom stood straight and still, as if set in stone. Unmoving. Barely even blinking. The two were wearing cloaks in a black velvet-esque fabric, almost blending them into their own shadows. A rather slender-looking red dragon with a large count of small spikes along the back of his head. Alongside of him was his comrade: Also a male, whom possessed two horns on either side of his head, going in a spiraling manner. With an exception for the two on his right side, whom had seemingly gotten stumped at some point, being significantly shorter than its left counterpart. And a red, almost to the point of pink, coat of scales adorning his body. They both nodded with a unison

"Yes, Madame Director."

They then went back to their previous silent observing of the brief.

Sethelis simply stood beside her two subordinates, internally feeling rather prideful of her work, getting to show what real discipline is like. Outwardly however she was almost as still as the two cloaked dragons.

"Excellent, then there's no need to clarify anything," nodded the Director, who then nodded to Spyro, who stood up.

"As Captain Sethelis has already been informed, the 18th... Ah, the _Shadows_ , were assigned to determine any link in between these attacks and the Anointed Ones. Shadow #1, report."

"Yes, Director," responded one of the two cloaked warriors, "Early this morning at o'three hundred hours, Shadow #2 and I were able to link the arrow Captain Miarko recovered to a local blacksmith. Cross-referencing the transaction list of the Blacksmith to our records of known Noints', we were able to determine the arrow's owner. She was captured and is now being held in the cells downstairs," the Shadow bowed their head and quickly moved back into formation, not muttering another word.

"Captains, as the Shadow stated, we have captured and brought in a known Noint', whether that be an actual operative or a sympathizer is not known to us."

"Director, if I may..." began Miarko, stepping out from the flank of Sethelis, "What are we needed for in this situation? The Shadows are just as capable-"

"They are just as capable, Captain..." said Spyro, cutting him off, "But you and your platoons are the leads on this situation, meaning you and your interrogation expertise are needed in this situation."

"Platoons, Director? As in-"

"You and Captain Sethelis will be sharing this assignment, Miarko," cut in Cynder, "Despite my...misgivings about the situation last evening, you and your platoons are the only two with experience on this case, and must work together as a result."

Sethelis blinked once. No, twice. At first she was confused, wasn't Cynder saying that they couldn't see each other? That's when Sethelis remembered the order, to quote exactly:

" _I have forbid him from seeing you as a result, which is why I will not allow you to see each other outside these walls. Is that clear?"_

The words echoed through her mind for a moment, the dragoness was then quick to spring into action: She looked over at Miarko, and then back to the two Directors.

"Let's all hope that this cooperation won't bring any…. _Complications_. I'd hate to disappoint, Sir, Ma'am." She said, her words oddly cold and seemingly dripping with a thick layer of irony. Not that the shadow Captain's tone was bad, as she still respects the two heroes, she simply…. Wishes some of their decisions undone.

But Sethelis' decision had been finalized: She will try to not go against the orders.

Miarko spoke up then, saying, "Acknowledged, Directors. We'll do our best to avoid any distractions and focus on our goal."

Sethelis then would proceed with a further question, she wanted to get out of this moment and get to work before she even could've bring that Captain another moment of thought. "Then, I assume we have permission to start. Any specifics we want to get out of her?"

Cynder proceeded by giving Spyro a glance. The purple dragon only nodded, looking almost regretful.

The Madame Director then gave the order: "I want every last thing she knows, no matter of what importance. Everything, by all means necessary. Spyro?" She said, having walked to the door which acted as an exit between the hallway to the interrogation rooms and the bottom floor offices at the DOW towers. The purple hero sighed, looking over at Miarko and mutters a "Make sure to restrain her if needed. We don't want any accidents." At the volume so that only the fire captain could've caught sound of it as the Director passed. "Take as long as you need. Send anything you find to me for review later on, when you think you are done." He then adds, in a louder tune so that all five dragons in the room heard his request.

And so the door to the office floors were shut, and Sethelis said "Come on, let's show them how one extracts information." To her two subordinates, whom both seemingly eased up upon the Directors leaving.

The three proceeded to head to a room with a tough looking iron door, a numberplate on the door saying "I3" signifying where they were headed.

Interrogation room 3.

Miarko sighed and turned to Sethelis then, his face uncaring. He looked dark.

"Captain, how do you want to play this?" he asked, "I have some experience in these matters, so whatever style you'd like to take into this affair, I'll go along with."

Sethelis stops just before she was about to open the big iron door.

She lowered her paw, and turns around, she looked at Miarko with a slight look of confusion. Not because of how he had requested a strategy, more of how… Cold his demeanor was. "You're usually a charismatic guy, as well as a Captain, so I assume you've taken part in the " _Bad-Good_ " routine at least once?" The shadow Captain asked, tilting her head slightly towards the door.

"Of course, Captain. I usually am the one that enters first, to calm the prisoner from their state," responded the 17th's Captain formally, "If you prefer, I can take this role again.:

Sethelis nodded. "Okay, as you seem to know how it goes, I'll let you go in first. Feel free to open the door and let me make my entrance whenever it is required. If it even will be." She said, once more turning to face the big reinforced door.

After unlocking the several locks, the heavy door swung open, revealing a empty room besides a set of chairs, with torches along the walls for lighting.

"Finally, I was wondering when you lovely people would let me out." A voice replied. The dragons could not see the person they were about to interrogate from where the door was, but they could tell that whomever was in that interrogation room was filled to the brim with ironic remarks and sarcastic comments. Just from that one sentence…

Miarko strode in alone, Sethelis remaining outside. He said nothing at first, sitting down in front of his interrogation subject slowly. He had been given the file on the individual, complete with what information the Shadows had been able to gather on the subject.

He looked down through the files, nodding slowly as he spoke, "So...Madame Elmira, is it?"

"No, it's the Queen of Warfang," responded Elmira, crossing her legs as she spoke, "Yes, it is I. 'Madame' Elmira, daughter to the Ice Guardian of Warfang and heir to the City."

"Your sarcasm is...charming, Madame Elmira," responded the Fire Captain, looking up at her for the first time.

She was a Skav, at least formerly. Elmira was a pirate name, no doubt of that. The Fellmuth, those of the Skavs who didn't resort to pirating, chose more...eloquent names than that. Miarko had met few of the Canine race during his time in Warfang, but the 17th was entirely a Dragon-based platoon, and the Captain saw little interaction outside of it.

This Elmira, she was sitting in that chair, treating it as if it was the throne to her kingdom. Her composure whilst sitting down was relaxed, as if the Fellmuth had gone through an interrogation by the DOW before.

She had a coarse and far from well kept fur, like to most of her kind the exterior was apparently not too important. She had a cocky and self assuring smile, showing every little one of her… Somewhat well kept fangs, one or two even having the near stereotypic metallic replacements.

Her "hair", having the same brown and dull white coloring as other Skavs', was kept back behind her head in something reassembling a ponytail with a simple set of rings made of some lucrative and expensive metal. Presumably gold, she was wearing simple garbs made of a rough and weathered red and white cloth-like fabric, a form of layered sleeveless coat. On her feet and hands rested leather gloves and steel capped boots, both carrying buckled straps to keep them in place.

Around her neck hung a very ornament gold bond, keeping up a plethora of smaller talismans and bejeweled little tokens. Almost like some form of collection. On a broad belt hanging around her hips there was a holster of sorts, presumably for one of those "flintlocks" the Skavs raiding parties were known to use.

Miarko hadn't had to deal with such a weapon as of yet, and he only knew they required gunpowder. Older soldiers of the DOW remembered the great raids that ensued from the Fellmuth's fleets during the chaos of the Dark Master's rise to power. They had described such weapons with "The only thing you heard was a loud bang, a cloud of smoke and suddenly there was a tiny ball of metal nestled deep inside your body. Painful, but easily fixed, if they didn't hit a vein or so. The time to reload however is even slower than the City wall's cannons."

Joining the holsters, there also was a scabbard for a cutlass. However Miarko assumed that those three were not the only weapons that this pirate was carrying.

The most prominent feature of her attire was something entirely different, it was a logotype he recognised. The one usually associated with the Anointed ones. A round circle in the middle, with eight arrows pointing all in different directions. Miarko already knew she once had been a part of the cult-like group of cutthroats, but that she'd flaunt with it so openly, having painted it with a kind of colorful ink, reassembling blood in it's crimson shade of red, on her forehead took him slightly off guard, as his eyes went to it pretty much instantly.

"My eyes are down here, Captain," said the captive, uninterested.

"That symbol on your forehead," he responded, regaining his composure, "I didn't know any of you Noints' would wear it so proudly. It's like a status symbol of sorts?"

"Oh, yes," she said, picking at her fingernails, "I love having the symbol of a dead god painted on my forehead. It's wonderful."

"Humor. Lovely," responded the Fire Dragon, looking up from his notes and smiling, "Staying positive and humorous can have positive effects in situations like this."

"Aren't you here to ask me questions about my evil intentions and how bad of a person I am?" Elmira responded, looking at him now.

"If you're ready to speak to us about everything," Miarko responded, opening his notes again, "To start, I'd like to-"

"Ask me where I was during whatever case of whenever? Look, let's just get this out of the way so we can both move on with our lives." The canine replied, nonchalantly flicking her wrist at the DOW Captain in a dismissive mannerism.

"Normally I don't run into captured prisoners being so… Upfront about talking," replied Miarko, raising an eye ridge.

He turned around, motioning a paw towards the door for his partner to come in. Sethelis entered then, quietly taking a seat. She had been able to hear everything on the other side of the wall, and she simply couldn't wait to get to wipe that smug grin of that marauder's face. However she knew very well that she has to await Miarko allowing her to do just that...

"Where were you Tuesday night last week, say, around three in the morning?"

"I was where I have been for months now, down on the docks in the _Gull and Lighthouse_ , drinking the night away, ever since you DOW lot confiscated my ship." responded the canine informally.

"Ah, you're a former Skav, then," came Miarko's response as he scribbled down a few choice words.

" _Former_ , yes. For the record, I never appreciated being a member of that lot. Who wants to be called a _Skav_? Especially after going through what is considered the greatest scandal in the " _Skav community"._ "

"I can understand the lack of appeal of being considered one such. You were subject to a mutiny too?" said the Fire Dragon, looking over the notes from the Shadows, "Those can be rough for 'Under-Captains' of some of the galleons of the Skavs. I assume you were deposed?"

"I'd rather not discuss the failures of my past career, _Captain_ ," she snarled suddenly.

"I have to get an idea of your background," began Miarko, "I can't get an idea of how you got to be here without it, Captain. Can I call you Captain?"

"I'm done here," said the captive, shaking her head, "I've done nothing. If you're not going to hurt me, then let's just be done with this and let me out."

"Hurt you?" asked the Fire Dragon, "Oh, I'm not willing to hurt you. She is…"

Sethelis suddenly got out of her seat, the little observative smirk which had rested on her lips prior had now grown slightly. The pirate scrambled into a correct sitting position, looking at the dragoness with a look of determination.

"What are you planning? To intimidate me with a creepy smile?" She stated. Apparently not going to be brought to her knees easily.

That was until Sethelis would open her maw and blast out what dragons would recognise as the technique "Shadow Fire" or Shadow Breath, a cloud of black smoke usually distorting vision as well as choking any non-shadows inhaling it.

Sethelis' goal was most likely the latter, as she didn't stop once they could hear how the Skav's breathing was getting more and more bothersome, coughing and wheezing.

Elmira was however not just going to sit there, as she tried to stand up... only to feel a paw press her down into her seat once more.

Sethelis' eye narrowed, as she shut her jaws audibly, backing off to her seat once more. Elmira coughs a few more times, gasping for air.

"Y-You sick bastards." Was all she managed, propping herself up in her seat once more, her eyes bloodshot.

"I don't want to do that any more than you do," said the Fire Captain, easing Sethelis back down, "But we need this information, lives are at stake."

The Fellmuth was silent for a long few moments. She was recovering, either her thoughts or her mind altogether.

"Like...I told your warriors," she said slowly, looking up at them just as slowly, "I'm…not an Anointed. I left their order some...time ago."

"So you know nothing of their current plans?" asked Miarko carefully.

"No. After this entire...Congeria situation, I wanted nothing to do with what they're doing now."

"What do you mean, they're doing now?"

Elmira looked up at them more attentively this time, with some confusion written on her face, "You mean you don't know what they're doing?"

"I'm not at liberty to discuss that, Miss Elmira," Miarko responded.

"Are you familiar with proxies? Proxy magic?" asked the Fellmuth.

"Please, explain it if you can," responded Miarko, shaking his head.

"It's when someone can possess someone else. Invade their mind to possess their body, turn their will against their wishes."

"And you think that the Noints' have access to such magic?"

"How do you think they came up with the plan to revive their God?"

Miarko looked at Sethelis with a great amount of Concern on his face. Sethelis looked back at Elmira, a possibility beginning to inch at the corner of her mind. If the Noints' could possess the will of someone, did that mean…?

"So you think that the Anointed Ones have, what…?"

Elmira looked between the two soldiers, giving them both glances. She couldn't wait to see the looks on their faces.

"Captains, I'm afraid you're already too late."

* * *

 **AN: Well, that is another chapter done! Mike and I had a blast writing this chapter, which (I have to admit, it's a longer one!) we sincerely hope you'll enjoy reading as much as our earlier ones. Well, this hawk really doesn't have much more to say, except that I am hoping you all will continue to appreciate and enjoy what we're writing.**

 **Please know that we read every review and PM, but don't always have the time to get back to all of them. All the same, we appreciate each and every piece of feedback we receive. And remember that each one helps us improve and make the story greater!**

 **That's all from us for now! Don't hesitate to leave a review.**

 **-Mike & Hawk**


	6. Chapter 6

**Call of The Ancestors**

 **Chapter 6: Light**

It took some time for Sethelis to be able to fully process what she and Miarko had just heard, the fact that someone such as Congeria was possibly coming back to wreak havoc on the Dragon Realms.

She sat in her seat, feeling slightly uncomfortable with how the interrogation had gone from questions to absolutely nothing after that last reveal. And since the Fire Captain hadn't said anything, she felt like she had to. Speaking up for the first time since the interrogation had started, she said "I am seriously doubting this, as… _Trustworthy_ as you appear to be,"

Elmira seemingly rolled her eyes upon hearing this statement, "We just can't rule out the possibilities that this whole Congeria thing is just for some underbosses to keep their own little criminal gang in line. I mean… If I had been working under an ancient formerly dead, and presumably rather angry god, I'd be pretty sure to show my loyalty as much as possible. Like keeping the charade up during interrogation, unless you're one of the fooled ones yourself," the dragoness argued, looking between Miarko and Elmira to let her statement hang in the air for a bit, hoping her fiery comrade would pursue that matter.

"Tell me, Captains," responded Elmira after a few moments of silence, "Put yourself in my position for just a moment. Think about what you might do if you discovered that the organization that you were a part of was resorting to Proxy Magic. How would you react?"

Miarko seemed to bite on her question, "I wouldn't remain any longer than you did," he responded, his eyes firm.

"Exactly, Captain," said Elmira, looking at Sethelis with some disgust, "I left. I didn't want any part of what they were trying to accomplish. I joined originally because I had nowhere else to go; but if they were infesting the minds of others, what was going to stop them from doing that very same thing to me?"

"So they just...let you leave?" asked Miarko, "You just walked out, no trouble?"

"Of course not, Captain, fanatical cults are nothing without their organization and record keeping," responded the canine, "I had to, ah, incapacitate a few of my former comrades on the way out. It was nothing personal."

"You killed several of your fellow cultists? Weren't you friends with at least some of them?" demanded Miarko, leaning forward slightly in his seat.

"Of course I was, but the ones who tried to stop me from leaving? I wasn't particularly fond of...most of them," replied the Skav, smiling slightly.

Miarko turned to Sethelis and motioned his head towards the door. He clearly wanted to discuss the matter further outside of the room.

Sethelis nodded as if she had been anticipating the dragon's reaction to this.

"Stay." She said simply, before getting up and walking over to the heavy door. "It'll only be ten minutes." She added, looking over at the Skav, watching Miarko leave alongside her, the door shutting behind them.

"So…?"

"Her pupils didn't dilate, and her breathing was seemingly normal," said Miarko, shaking his head and looking at the wall, "I don't think that she was lying to us. Your thoughts?"

"Well, as you stated just now, I'd say she appears to be telling the truth. If we only had brought a electricity dragon for this…" The shadow dragoness groaned slightly,"I still am having a hard time to believe it. I mean… Weren't all tomes on Proxy Magic destroyed years ago?"

"Indeed," nodded the Fire dragon, "I believe they were destroyed because the former Guardians called it...base and evil. That magic is just not something that anyone should be able to use, under any pretenses."

Sethelis nodded. "I knew why they were removed. I was just certain that they were completely exterminated until now. They must have gotten hold of it somehow, right?" She started, looking down at the ground in thought, "Let's just assume she spoke the truth, and that we now have the major crisis of a doomsday cult worshipping a recently resurrected being of pure anarchy and chaos. What do we do?"

"Take this information to the Directors, post haste, and receive our orders," Miarko said, but he seemed… Distracted.

Sethelis noticed this immediately, and hence she asked "... Having a hard time focusing on the mission?" as her brow furrowed slightly.

Miarko looked down, then looked Sethelis directly in the eye, "For what it's worth, I don't agree with what the Director had to say."

With that, he began walking away, attempting to leave Sethelis alone in the hallway.

That is, until the dragoness suddenly ascended out of the floor in front of him, spreading her wings as if to block his path. She was smiling.

"We still have a interrogation to finish."

"Let her know that she's free to go. I'm going to present this information to the Directors," responded the Fire dragon, still looking away from her, "If you have any more questions for her, however, now would be the time. I'll see you in a bit."

With that, he made his way past her, and walked up the stairs and through the lobby towards the climb upward to the Directors' offices.

Sethelis only nodded after him, before turning to let Elmira out.

* * *

"Captain, I'm going to need you to repeat that last bit for me…" said the Purple Dragon slowly, rubbing a claw against his forehead.

Miarko stood and sighed to himself. He had just informed the Director of the entirety of the interrogation and what the information truly meant to the DOW. It was not good news, needless to say.

"The Noints' have already succeeded, to a point, Director. Congeria has somehow already been tied to a host body. Apparently a willing individual."

"Someone who wanted power without thinking of the sacrifice that it entailed. A noble?" thought Spyro, mostly to himself.

"Possibly, Elmira didn't have first hand experience with that portion of the order I'm afraid, she had no knowledge of who the "Influenced" as the Noints' have taken to calling them, might be."

"So we're hunting again," replied the Director, looking over at Cynder.

"Until there's a possibility that we can capture an individual that is directly involved with Noints', it seems that will have to be the best we can offer at the moment," nodded Miarko.

"I might be able to help with that," came a sudden voice from behind Miarko.

It was Elmira, who strode into the room. Sethelis came running in after her, slightly out of breath.

"Directors, she-she ran up here. She says she wants to help," said the slightly exhausted Shadow Captain.

Cynder stood up immediately and moved in front of Spyro, as if instinctively protecting him, "What is the meaning of this?" she asked authoritatively.

"I heard what you were saying," responded Elmira, "Don't bullslag me, you need help. Your organization has no leads and no way of knowing what to do next to combat the Noints'. I can help with that."

"You're a Skav, a former pirate," Miarko said quickly, "You wouldn't do this out of the kindness in your heart."

"Of course not," said the Skav, winking at the Fire captain, "A quaint monetary reward."

"Quaint? How much?"

"Oh, the price of a new galleon, the one your order stole from me, along with an able crew." responded the Skav, licking her lips.

Cynder stood up and shouted, "Absolutely not! Even if we had access to such resources, there is no way-"

"Beloved, please," came the calming voice of Spyro, putting a paw on her shoulder. The Black dragoness nodded slowly and sat back down.

"Your request is reasonable, considering your history, but the DOW can offer no promises as of now. This sort of arrangement would need to be worked out with the Guardians, not ourselves. It'd be moving quite a bit of the City's resources at once, and not towards a place many residents would consider a good use of public funds. I'm sure you understand," responded Spyro calmly.

"Fine, as long as I get back what you stole from me," said the Skav, folding her arms.

"Now, can you tell us anything else that might be of use for this situation?" asked Spyro, nodding.

"Well, that depends. Is the Shadow temptress going to blow shadow fire at me again if I refuse to answer something?" Elmira responded, casting a dangerous glare at Sethelis.

Sethelis only gave the former pirate a sly smirk; "All within reason." She stated. "So, I'll let the Madame Director here be the one to judge if my methods should be applied." She replied, before giving the pirate a look that said " _Test me, I dare you."_

"Next time won't be so easy," Elmira responded, as she growled lowly.

"Ladies, please," cut in Miarko, "Let's not rehearse any newly instated grudges you two might have. You have my word that Captain Sethelis will not try anything of the sort."

"Hmph. I suppose that will have to be enough," said Elmira, nodding.

"Then, please, let's get to the matter at hand," Spyro piped up, "What do you have for us, Elmira?"

"The names of current Noint' operatives and sympathizers. Individuals that both support the Noints', but also those that could be the subject that you are looking for," Elmira responded, smiling.

"This will be… Invaluable in our search, Elmira," Spyro nodded in affirmation, "I thank you for the information."

"It's not just for your use, Director. I want a part to play in this as well."

"Meaning?" asked the Purple dragon, folding his paws together.

"I want a part in taking down the Noints'. They hurt me, they deserve what's coming to them."

"You want a part in this, without joining the DOW, I assume."

"You think I'd ever join your little band of warriors here? Of course not," Elmira responded with some disgust in her eyes.

"Then how…?" Sethelis started, mumbling to herself. "We have to keep face, since we're tangling with more than just the Noints' at the same time. We cannot show that we've gone so far as to recruit random people of the streets…" She murmured, more thinking out loud than talking to the people in the room.

"Well, you could consider yourself a freelancer under our employ. Temporarily working with either the Shadows or possibly in the 17th?" The shadow captain suggested, glancing at the Directors and her fellow captain.

"I'd never work for you, _Shadow_ ," Elmira responded with disgust, "I think we'll need a male's delicate touch on this one. I'll gladly join Captain Miarko's efforts on this task."

Miarko nodded, saying, "Very well, I'll make a place for you within the 17th. Just...don't expect an office space anytime soon."

"Very well then, it's settled," affirmed Spyro, "Madame Elmira, I'll need you to stay for a short while to get these names so our agents can narrow down the list as needed. Captains, you are dismissed for the evening."

Miarko nodded and turned, leaving the office quickly, Sethelis quickly following suit. Miarko closed the door behind them and walked out slowly.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

It was dark now, and a Friday night. Miarko normally made plans for this sort of night, but with working late as he had been throughout the week, he hadn't had the chance to do so.

Sethelis wasn't the planning type, she never was nor never will be. She had found that in her line of work, planning a night out would never end in a positive manner, as work always seemed to catch her off guard.

She gave the fire captain a quick glance, who was still walking beside her, wondering what he was thinking.

Miarko seemed to be deep in thought himself, not paying too much attention to the Shadow dragoness.

This in turn made Sethelis curious, and she decided to try, once again, to get a interaction going. "... So, what are you thinking about?" She asks, trying to break the silence.

Miarko turned quickly, as if startled by her sudden words, "Ah, I was...thinking about the task that we have in front of us," he said, trying to recover his thoughts before continuing, "I was distracted, but...what are you still doing here? You remember what the Director said."

Sethelis shook her head, only to retaliate to the captain's words. "Rather, the question is… What are you doing here? If anyone, I'm the one out of us two who should be here after hours." She asks, walking up and in front of the dragon. The two stopped briefly by a open window. The glimmering city's shining lights could be seen down below. A combination of torch light and more electric types of lights created and powered by electricity dragon. "Cynder's words were that we shouldn't interact outside of this towers walls, and currently we are inside the DOW tower, so we're free to talk as much as we want." The dragoness stated, glancing out the window briefly.

"Hm," Miarko replied simply, "You are correct on that count at least. I am heading to my office for a moment, if you would like to join me."

Sethelis raised a brow, blinking with her healthy eye. She had completely forgotten an issue of hers, the fact that her eyepatch was still missing.

"I see no problems with it, so okay, sure," she said agreeingly, "Feel free to lead the way."

Miarko lead the female down the flight of stairs to the 17th floor, and rounded the corner to his office. All of the lights on the floor, bar one, were still lit. It seemed that Lieutenant Terron had been working late once again, as he always seemed to do. Miarko unlocked the door with a set of keys and went around the far side of the desk, sitting down and shuffling through some papers Terron had left earlier in the day.

Sethelis came into the office after the Captain, using her tail to shut the door behind her. She was quiet for the following seconds, just looking about with a neutral expression, before sitting down on a soft cushion placed opposing to the desk where the Captain usually worked. He was quiet for quite some time, shuffling through some things and sighing. Something was troubling him once again.

Miarko put his face within his paws, remaining silent for a moment before speaking slowly, "How many lives depend on us this time? How many people will this situation come to kill before it's all over?"

Sethelis' face went from neutral to a little worried, and she looked at the captain. She placed a paw atop the desk, as she leaned forwards slightly.

"We have no way of knowing, Miarko. Casualties are always something we have to anticipate, no matter how much we may hate it." She said, not wanting to discourage the fire dragon she also added a "But I am sure it's a very small amount, if any at all. We've been a step ahead of the 'Noints every step of the way until now…"

"Half of my family has been killed fighting for this City, the freedom and lives of its inhabitants," responded the Fire Dragon, head still in his paws, "I'm not sure how much more of it I can take. It seems our fight never ends."

Sethelis sighed. It seems like this fire dragon wasn't as optimistic behind closed doors as he'd been in public. She decided to carefully get up, not even her claws making a sound against the stone paneled floor. She rounded the table and sat down on her haunches next to Miarko, giving him a empathetic look. "That is because the Ancestors are testing us, Miarko. Our struggles are never over, but in the end we will come out victorious. Not if we give in half way…" She said, searching her mind for a good way to express herself.

Miarko looked up at her, as if he was stunned by her sudden approach. He looked away for a moment.

"I don't know if we're quite halfway through this yet, but I'm not giving up. Simply thinking about what is yet to come, what might happen if we fail," he responded.

Sethelis tilted her head slightly upon hearing the Captain. She knew that one always had to think about every possible outcome, and crushing defeat is always the worst. But right now it seemed like Miarko had gotten stuck there.

"And you are thinking about the worst case scenario, Miarko. You need to take your mind off of the negative side of the mission for just a night. It is Friday after all?" The dragoness said, her tone going to a slight more positive manner, even if she knew herself that she'd be the most hypocritical person to utter those words.

There's always a first for everyone…

"Are you...suggesting something, Captain?" asked the Fire dragon, turning to her and raising an ridge.

Sethelis bit her lower lip as she heard how the captain had picked up on her, admittedly, subconscious suggestion. "Well, sitting here in our lonesome might not be the best way to spend a weekend evening, no?" She said, feeling how she had to struggle to keep the reassuring tone up instead of her own shy mumblings.

"Indeed," replied the Fire captain, picking himself up out of the chair and strolling towards the door. He opened it and motioned with a paw, "The Director be slagged. Care to join me?"

Sethelis simply sat there quiet for a few seconds. Looking at him with her yellow eye. Then she proceeded to open her maw and utter one sentence; "...That went better than I had dared hope for, and yes, thank you." She said, getting herself up and started walking towards the door.

Miarko escorted her out the door and locked it behind her.

Stopping outside the door, he said, "There's a little place down by the docks that I frequent on nights like these. Would you care to join me?"

Sethelis simply laughed a little; "Yeah sure. I suppose one has to let loose at least once." She said to the captain, Her lips parting in a fanged grin.

"I hope you'll be smiling a lot more than that by the end of the night," came Miarko's response, smiling himself, "Now, come on!"

"With pleasure." The shadow dragoness answers, before suddenly turning into what seemed like a black mist, only to reappear outside the window they were standing by, beating her silver wings to keep herself up.

"Now, are we leaving or are you just going to stand there?"

Miarko smiled and took off, heading for the bright torch-lit streets below. Sethelis quickly followed after him. It was a short flight to the location he spoke of, a small bar near the water. _The Rusty Nail._ "Who even came up with the names for these types of places?" Sethelis thought to herself. They landed and silently entered. It was oddly not as...sailor-esque as Sethelis expected. It was crowded, but both sailor looking individuals as well as commoners were in the establishment.

Towards the back, a group of DOW soldiers, Sethelis could tell from the patches on their shoulders. In the corner, a group of sailors; they look unkempt and exhausted. Warfang was a bustling port with dozens of ships coming and going every day. The Dragon City was probably a layover for these pour souls, coming from one kingdom to the next. The Shadow Captain didn't envy them.

Miarko immediately and self assuredly headed towards the bar itself, where a young wolf was talking to another one of his patrons. The Fire Captain sat down and motioned for Sethelis to follow him.

Sethelis felt the heavy air, even for a finer establishment like this one the smell of alcohol was still there, and she had to admit that just that was slightly making her lightheaded. But it was nothing she couldn't dismiss.

The shadow dragoness made her way from the doors, and followed the fiery captain as if she'd be tracing someone, keeping him within her line of sight at all times.

She managed to make her way past a group of people, excusing herself before finding an empty seat at Miarko's left side. She proceeded to sit, as she looked over at the fire dragon with a quizzical look.

"Got anything good to recommend...? Nothing too heavy to start with, please." The dragoness requested, assuming that Miarko knew a bit better of liquors than she did. Ironically, Sethelis could tell any kind of fluids in the terms of it being poisoned, by just a few whiffs, but when it came to beverages, she was clueless.

"For you to start off? Eh, probably just some light Vyanfarian ale would suit you. It's what I started with a while back. Nothing too fancy," responded Miarko, nodding. He looked over at the bartender and said, "Tyus, a glass of Vyanfar for the lady?"

The bartender nodded and walked to the other end of the bar.

"So, let me guess," Miarko said, looking back at Sethelis, "You've never been to one of these places before, hm?"

Sethelis shaked her head, giving out a light and rather nervous laugh as she admits; "Only under cover, sadly I can't talk about that." She admits, shameful.

"I'm not your average "wild nights out" kind of dragoness." She continued, as the bartender soon returned with a smaller mug of ale. The dragoness gave him a thankful nod, using her tail to get a hold of the beverage.

"So… You having anything?" She asked the fire dragon, looking directly at him for the first time since they entered the bar.

"Not your average ness', hm?" responded Miarko, "That's an interesting comment. Me? Yeah, in a bit. Want to talk first."

"Yeah sure, loosen me up a bit." The dragoness replied with a little wink, hoping that she'd not be too forward… Or too much of a terrible flirt for that matter. Would Miarko even be hitting on her? She had no idea what was going to happen…

Miarko laughed, shaking his head, "I see you have _no_ experience with this kind of thing…" Sethelis felt her heart skip a beat, "...But that's alright. It just occurs to me that I know very little about you. I believe you've gotten my briefing, but the Shadows aren't very public about their operatives, even to other members of the Defenders. Care to tell a little bit about yourself?"

Sethelis nodded upon hearing about how secretive the 18th really is. "So… Like some random facts about me, or… Anything… Specific?" She asked, averting her gaze shyly as she put the mug to her lips and took a sip of the bitter brown ale within. She was forced to summon some real effort into not cringing or looking like she'd not be used to drinking the stuff. The few alcoholes she's ever consumed for the sake of it is wines, even if she knew that'd make her seem posh.

"First, this is your first mug of alcohol, am I right?" asked Miarko, grinning at her. Sethelis looked up at the male, swallowing faster than she'd liked and putting the mug down on the bar desk.

"N-No.. What makes you think that?" She asked him, looking up. "I may be antisocial, but that doesn't mean I've never tasted alcohol before." She clarified.

"You had a slight twitch in your mouth when you took your first sip, and you hesitated when I asked," he responded with a grin still firmly planted on his face, "I may not be a member of the Shadows, but I've been trained to read facial expressions and observe body language."

Sethelis nodded approvingly. "Would you look at that." She commented before emptying her cup in one swing, feeling her eyes tearing up slightly over the sudden burning sensation in her throat.

"S-See, I'm fine though? Best way of getting resistant to the bad things are usually being around or ingesting them a lot." She explained, coughing lightly. "So, anything else you'd like to know?"

"Hmm," said Miarko, his head laying on one of his paws, "You're a bad liar for a Shadow. Anyhow, what about your background? Where are you from?"

Sethelis looked upon the bar desk as she spoke next, "Oh, I'm from around here actually." She said, looking over. "I grew up in the poorer parts of town, and learned who to trust and who to beat up relatively quickly. Let's just say that I was a tough hatchling in a even tougher city." She said, eschewing any major details.

"Sorry if I sound dull, or that I am brief, but… I really am not allowed to talk about such things in places like these…" The shadow captain clarified, scratching her neck with one of her wings. "You're Avalarian, right…?"

"My parents are, were, from the Avalarian Valleys, but I was born and raised here. So...sort of," responded the Fire Dragon, who ordered a pint for himself while answering, "Noticed the accent, did you?"

His words earned a nod from the dark colored dragoness. "It's easier to pinpoint rather than someone from, let's say Dante's Freezer." She elaborated, before asking a rather important question: "And… Who's paying for this?"

"I'll be handling that," responded Miarko with a light smile, "It's the least I can do to help you try this swill for the first time," he finished with a wink.

Sethelis nudged the male with her wing, rolling her eye. "Yeah, yeah. Rub it in." She added with a overexaggerated ironic tone. "So, here comes an important question…what's our goal for the night?"

"I've got...a few ideas."

* * *

Light.

There was light outside.

How long had…?

Get up.

He looked down at his paws, indicating they were still in front of him. He looked outside then, noticing it was late morning. He wasn't due in for work today. It was Saturday, no need to worry about being late for yet another meeting, there was no fear of that.

Wait.

He looked to his right, his heart and breathing stopping for just a moment.

She laid there, still sleeping, her chest falling and rising with a steady pace.

He rolled to the side of the bed, putting his head into his paws.

"Oh, Mover...what have I done?" Miarko asked himself.

He looked back at the sleeping form of Sethelis, lying there silently, only a deep breathing coming from her vaguely opened maw. There was no reason to wake her up, at least not yet. The Fire dragon picked himself up and strolled over towards the washroom quietly, as to not wake her. He closed the door behind him tightly, closing his eyes and shaking his head. The memories began to flood back into his head.

She had gotten...out of her mind quicker than the Captain had anticipated. He had offered to take her home, but the drink in her head had made her...want to come home with him. The drink in _his head_ had accepted. They had…

"If the Madame Director ever finds out about this, I'm going to be kicked out of the Defenders," he thought to himself, putting another paw to his face and groaning.

His career would be over and he'd never be allowed back into the order again. This had to stay a secret, no matter the cost.

He turned towards the sink and bath, trying to clean himself up.

He looked looked like a male that had been through hell and back, or a male that had done what he and the Shadow had done last night. He took a few moments to polish and ready himself before slowly opening the door again and entering the bedroom.

She was awake when he entered, she sat on her haunches in the bed, looking out the window. Miarko assumed she had heard him enter, as she turned herself around to face him. And she looked confused. Especially to see him in the doorway.

"... Where am I?" The dragoness asked, as she looked out through the window, and then back to the Captain again, blinking a few times.

Miarko took a few steps towards her, as she was rubbing her eye. They had gotten her a new eyepatch… Sometime during the night, as she had told him that she misplaced her old one. Miarko noted that she was wearing the new addition and that it fit her like a glove on a cheetah's paw.

So at least everything wasn't all bad. Miarko cleared his throat, before he opened his maw, picking his words carefully.

"You are at 112 Archer Avenue, and this is my bedroom." The fire captain replied, trying to make it as smooth as possible.

As the words "My" and "Bedroom" were left hanging in the air, the shadow captain looked very flustered.

Miarko had seen 'nesses react flustered or ashamed like this before, as this wasn't a rare thing that he'd… Partake in. But possibly not to this degree, and never before from a DOW soldier. He saw how Sethelis covered her head in her silvery wings, as she whined " _Noooo_ …." Lowly to herself.

"I know that this is bad, but we need to remain composed, Sethelis." The Captain of the 17th explained, as he walked over. Only to hear Sethelis murmur.

"And… And I don't even remember anything of it."

Miarko's heart dropped slightly at her saying this. He hadn't known one of his partners to both be a lightweight, but also be emotional about this. He was silent at her reaction, not sure what to say to help the situation.

"And I usually don't forget things easily. If I for once can have some of the good things, I just HAD to be in a drunken state!" The dragoness complained, whining about her situation, she had seemingly forgotten that Miarko was standing right in front of her.

Miarko took this opportunity to sit down on the bed next to her and cross his forelegs as he laid on the bed. He thought for a few moments about what he wanted to say, not entirely sure at first how to approach this situation.

"If it means anything, I remember the whole thing…" he said slowly, trying not to alarm her.

Sethelis paused her little rant upon hearing that her partner at least had remembrance of… Whatever they had done. "You do?" She asked, unintentionally sounding puzzled. She thought for a moment, before shuffling her way onto the bed herself, laying on her side as she gazed upon the male.

He laughed lightly and looked away from her, not wanting to see her as he said, "You weren't bad for a first timer."

Sethelis smiled to herself. At least she had done _something_ right last night, having been capable to impress someone with such a track record as the "infamous" Captain of the 17th. "Now you're just being nice." The dragoness stated shyly as she looked down at her paws slightly.

"I mean, you weren't my best…" he said, looking at her now with a smirk on his face, "But you were up there...top ten for sure."

He wasn't just being nice about it. It was his first time being with a shadow dragoness. She had found… Creative ways to use her element.

Sethelis did frown at first, seemingly feeling something she knew as jealousy for a few seconds. Besides the point, she appeared to still be happy about her rate of performance. She batted his side with a paw, her sharp claws being felt against his crimson scales.

"Eh… From the fractured pieces of lewd flashbacks I am suddenly having, I suppose I could say that you were at least in my tier of top 3. Not that I usually measure, but still…" She stated.

"Oh, I wasn't your first? It seemed that way," he asked the Shadow Dragoness, with some interest in his mind.

Sethelis shook her head, smiling teasingly at him. "Did you seriously assume I'd been that dragoness who has no other male friends besides the one named "Work"?" She asked. Apparently enjoying to reveal something about her personal life for once. Miarko had heard that Shadows are secretive to the point of barely existing in any public record, and he could almost feel the relief pouring from the Shadow Captain.

"I mean, according to what I know about you guys in the 18th you...don't get out much, from what I hear," he said slowly, trying to choose his words as best he could, "I mean that in the best of ways, of course."

Sethelis nodded matter-of-factly as a reply, following it up with the words, "We barely interact with anyone outside of the 18th, and even then it's usually only work related, as the Captain, I know every single one of them on the first-name basis, but they barely know anyone outside of their teams. We're a kind of unsung heroes. Shadows, fittingly enough… This information is also technically confidential, and I could lose more than my job if you were to ever utter anything about this outside of a empty room with no one but you and me." She explained, studying her claws.

"So…" Miarko began, trailing off for a moment as he considered what that meant, "You're not truly allowed to have any sort of personal life in this line of work? Seriously?"

Sethelis nodded once more. "Sadly no. You've been my first… Anything male related since before the DOW was established as a major council-funded organisation." She explained slowly, trying to word it correctly.

"I was the very first one after all."

"The very first member of the 18th? Really?" asked Miarko, raising an eye ridge.

He wasn't shocked, just slightly confused. He had thought that the DOW had began years ago, and that the 18th had been around longer than that. Was his information out of date?

"Well, technically I was with them when the 18th was founded. We were only a small task group by then. After a few missions like any other platoon, Cynder saw that we were fit for the glove. And so the Shadows grew out of the 18th. I was first to be initiated into their plan as I was the Captain. And it slowly bled through onto the others. And so we became the ones we are today, only with a few more teams." Sethelis explained; Miarko noted that she seemed oddly vague about any details, but shrugged it off as that she just didn't want him to know too much…

"A secret task group that no one outside of their organization knows about and answers only to one person, eh?" asked Miarko sarcastically, "Sounds very interesting. Almost like something you'd find in a book."

"The Madame founded it, we respond to her and Spyro, so I'd say yeah. Sounds pretty fairy-tale like." Sethelis replied. "Love the sarcasm by the way, keeping our identities secret can be the one line of defense we have, after all." She stated, giving him a nudge with her wing.

Maybe a little too hard to not count it as a shove. As a result, Miarko nearly fell out of the bed and onto the floor He regained his balance quickly, however, and sighed as he recovered.

"You've got quite the wing there, Sethelis," he joked, grinning at the Shadow Dragoness, "It's a shame you didn't use that more last night…"

Sethelis giggled coyly. "Well, maybe if there's going to be a round two? I might try it.." She replied with an equally big grin.

Miarko huffed out a laugh, shaking his head and looking away from her. He rose from the bed and moved back towards the washroom, but not before looking back.

"You're already my favorite," he stated simply before closing the door.

* * *

 **A/N: Ugh. Adult fluff. For our younger readers who have no idea what we were just discussing… You're too young to be reading this one. :P**

 **In all seriousness, if this type of content disturbs you, feel free to let us know. Reviews on our subject matter and choice of content in each chapter is ALWAYS appreciated. If you do like this more...adult type of fluff, be prepared for more of it in the future!**

 **However, I do just want to clarify: this novel is a T rating for a reason. There will be** **NO LEMONS** **in this work. I personally do not enjoy writing it and it is undesirable to have those sorts of sections within my portfolio. If you're looking for one of those, feel free to look around the archive, there are a few here and there. If you have any question, please let me know personally!**

 **We'll be back in a few weeks with Chapter 7! See you all next time.**

 **-Mike and Hawk**


	7. Chapter 7

**Call of the Ancestors**

 **Chapter 7: The Price of Nobility**

"Seeking excitement could be done in many different ways for a noble from the frozen north!" They said, "Coming to Warfang will bring some new views. New people and odd customs!" They said.

Sydale knew this wasn't true though. Living the high-born life was always such a bore. You didn't get to see whomever you wanted, you didn't get to talk to people in the wrong manner… Heck, she wasn't even allowed to leave the residential palace located in the riverside a few miles away from the city when she wanted to. And she simply didn't have the capability to even grasp _why_. Why would anyone want this? The food might be good, but it all tastes the same after a while. One gets tired of the lavish and luxurious.

One gets tired… Of all these rules.

This… Established order. Unwritten rules dictating her every step just because she happens to be related to that stuck-up Ice Guardian. She used to like uncle Cyril. She did, until she came of age, that is. As the "etiquette" suddenly started to apply to her too.

But this all was about to change. Sydale sat by her desk in her room, glancing out at the city's pristine walls shining in the distance. She had laid her pristine blue paws upon a scroll, which she had opened and placed upon her study-desk. It was a report delivered in utter secrecy.

It seemed like the letters were completely jumbled, no straight lines or actual coded messages, yet Sydale had no problems reading it.

Because she wasn't the one translating the text.

" _The items were recovered on schedule._

 _The charges has been set by our agents, albeit they might risk needing to be activated remotely._

 _No casualties, stage ready for the next step._

 _Awaiting orders within the City walls."_

The short text brought a toothy smile to the ice dragoness' lips. The thoughts in her mind started to straighten out for a bit, forming a sentence rather than busy half-formed words.

"Good. Proceed as planned. However we need to gather intel on any potential threats." These thoughts weren't hers, and she knew it. But what price wouldn't she be willing to pay to see the world brought to their knees and haunches? Or even better, seeing the Realms shed any kind of structure and order?

She looked out the window, which she has opened. The marble walls shone bright white in the sunlight.

 _Soon._

The Ice dragoness stood up from the desk and walked slowly over to the balcony beside the room. She was alone her bedchambers, albeit she still felt as if someone was in there with her. She sighed, feeling tired even if she knew very well that it was the middle of the day.

Proxy-magic… Was tiresome business, and it was only through a miracle that she had uncovered the true potential in the art. Being of noble blood usually allowed her to make requests for items that normally would've been seized by the law and had her executed for witchcraft, perhaps even sorcery.

She had managed to get her paws onto it through a game of chance, really. Her father, whom was an esteemed author, historian and researcher of ancient draconic lore, had received books from an unknown donor. Using nothing but dumb luck allowed Sydale to snatch the black tome sealed via chain. The metal hadn't been hard to break; Just freeze it to the point of the metal withering into nothing.

She glanced at the book, which she had been carrying around with her in a satchel hidden under her cloak. She sat down on her haunches, picking up the book after reassuring herself that no one was around. The heavy tome almost weighed her down. It was said that this book had the spells bound within which once were used by the King of the apes, Malefor's general, Gaul, when he enslaved the black dragoness Cynder, forcing her to carry out the commands of the Dark Master. Sydale was inclined to believe the stories, as the book itself still reeked of that unmistakable ape smell.

Within were contained spells that were capable of terrible deeds. She placed a paw onto the old leathery cover, opening it. The old text was written in a questionable red substance, still in draconic calligraphy, albeit a very old dialect of it. However, Sydale already knew which page she wanted to go to. Flicking through the grim images displayed, of arcane symbols and sacrilegious rituals until she reaches the section that was labeled,

" _Ergo Proxy magicis, Continere vel contineri."_

According to her own knowledge of ancient draconic calligraphy, the phrase meant "Proxy Magic, control or be controlled," and she was very familiar to the subject. She would even dare call herself adept at the arts of Proxy magic. This would've normally meant bad news, but for Sydale this merely meant more followers. She needed an army.

An army that was worthy of the higher cause. And amassing one in secret hadn't been easy. She read the texts, thinking on the last reports that had been coming in. One mentioned DOW soldiers infiltrating one of their cells within the city. And then oh-so-discreetly blowing the thing up with everyone still inside.

Sydale chuckled to herself. She had heard that they finally caught on onto her plot. How they now were trying to figure out what her next move might be. But she knew that as far as they'd come in their search, the further away their true goal was going to be.

The Ice dragoness placed her paws on her tiara, the silvery and ornament piece was gleaming in the sun. She took it off, and it felt as if a weight equivalent of the entire world was lifted off of her wings and shoulders. She looked upon it, knowing that once she had started to wear it, there had been no way back. But Congeria had shown her the blind truth. And hence, she fights. Resulting in Sydale having the highest need to prove herself worthy.

"You are troubled," came a sudden voice, startling the Ice noble.

Quickly recovering, she responded, "The Defenders have discovered your plans."

"The Defenders are not a problem. It will be a problem if my Influenced begins to doubt her goals, however," came the voice.

"I'm not doubting your goals-"

" _Our_ goals, Influenced. We are one, host," responded the voice.

Congeria had been a benevolent master through the short time since Sydale had allowed her into her mind. It hadn't been exactly what the Ice noble had expected, however. She had expected direct control from the Mistress of Chaos, like the old stories detailed of her armies of fanatic zealots, completely deprived of free will back in times before modern history, she had forced former peaceful nations under the gigantic Ice Kings up in the cold north wastes of Dante's Freezer into an eternal war, trapped under her chaotic influence even after her banishment by the other Ancestors. But that hadn't come to pass. Instead, it was suggestions and advice on how to continue with the path that Sydale had been wanting to go down for some time before the Proxy magic had overtaken her psyche. Perhaps that was for the better, Sydale still wasn't sure when she had taken part in the ritual Whether or not she even _wanted_ the help of the dead god.

"I know, Mistress," responded Sydale, "My mind is yours."

"Indeed. You are a better servant than I could have asked for. The Anointed Ones have served me well, but your aims are so much...better," stated the dead god.

"Mistress, if I may…" began the Ice noble, steering the conversation away from the current topic, "I have a question to ask of you."

"You wish to know where I wish you to go from here...you are still concerned about the Defenders. And the... _heroes_ ," stated Congeria, reading the mind of the Ice noble.

"They are a severe threat, even if they are a long way from discovering my identity and our true plans. The very fact that the Saviors direct their organization is a cause for concern. They have both become the most powerful denizens of these Realms."

"You have done your research, I see," said the voice with a bored tone, "The "Directors" aren't even leading their efforts. They are distracted by the matters that the Defenders are tasked with dealing with. You know who I'm truly interested in."

"The two Captains, Mistress?"

"They lead the investigation against us, and are now entangled with each other. The partnership is distracting for their real goal. It serves my purposes well."

"Very well, Mistress," stated Sydale, "But back to my original question…"

"You know my aims, Sydale. What more do I need to explain?"

"My role in all this, Madame."

A light chuckling came from the voice, before she answered, "My dearest Sydale, you will be the instrument of corruption, the bringer of chaos, if I may... Your role is more pivotal in all this than you think."

"My role in what?" Sydale asked, not admitting it to herself that she was feeling a very slight sliver of fear.

"The complete annihilation of this world."

* * *

Sidestep. Forward. Duck. Left. Right. Parry. Wide swath. Riposte. Froward. Stab.

Elmira threw her cutlass to the ground in anger, shaking her head. A carved up straw dummy sat in front of her, sword marks cutting clean through it.

The Fellmuth just wasn't in the same shape that she had been in during her Captaincy. Now she was clumsy, her reactions were slower as well as her sword arm being far from as strong as it once had been. She was one of the few female Skavs, and one of the even fewer number of female Captains in the fleet. Despite her gender, she had risen to prominence in her fleet, leading her galleon both in combat and as a commander. She had been one of the masters in sword-to-sword combat both on her ship and throughout the fleet. This was uncommon for a captain and nigh on unheard of for a female of the race.

Now, the cutlass lay at her feet, unused as it had been for months. Ever since she had escaped the Noints', the Captain hadn't picked up a sword at all, hoping to avoid detection from the cult. It had worked to stave off her former comrades, but the guise hadn't worked when the Defenders came to threaten her with imprisonment for assumed dealings with the Noints'. They had been wrong, of course, but that had not stopped the Shadows from taking her to the Tower to be interrogated and…

Tortured.

It had been quick, nothing like the pain she had once experienced as an enemy had hit her with a high fireball during a raid with the Noints'. It was the audacity of it. She had been more than willing to cooperate with the Fire Captain, right? What right did the DOW have to force that slagged Shadow Captain to use her element on Elmira?

The Skav felt her rage building up inside her as she thought about it. She roared and kicked the straw dummy to the ground, breaking it into several pieces.

"I see you've gotten the better of your enemy," came a voice unfamiliar to the Fellmuth.

Elmira turned around, finding the formal demeanor of Terron greeting her. She had seen this Earth dragon briefly a few times, mainly tailing the Fire Captain around. She assumed he was some kind of assistant or lieutenant. The Skav knelt down and picked up her cutlass, turning towards a row of bottles a few meters away as she answered him, drawing her flintlock.

"And I see you could have better places to be rather than to bother me." She replied, focusing and hoping that at least her aim hadn't deteriorated. Even if she felt a little rusty when she held the weight of the pistol and fired.

Blam!

A small puff of smoke and the sound of something tiny made of metal hitting a wall, none of the bottles had been hit.

"Shipwrecks!" The female Skav cursed, having started the rather tedious process of reloading. Terron stood and watched her, just about to address the, in his eyes, unsavory pirate about that the deal she had demanded back in the office of Cynder had met a compromise…

"The ship you requested is under construction and is expected to be done before the end of this year." He addressed, formal as per usual. That did in turn lead to Elmira sighing slightly, as she felt the tension disappearing. Finally! This was the first single shred of good news she had heard in days! The Fellmuth got done with re-loading her weapon, albeit she holstered it and turned to face the lieutenant, looking both thoughtful and happy.

"So, the fire captain's lapdog brings good news! What's the catch?" She exclaims, her tone went from a faked optimistic tone only to give in to the usual sarcasm. Terron hadn't expected the pirate to figure that little part out so easily, however he showed her no signs of her getting the upper paw in this; "Well, the one little restriction we've put up is that you may only sail under DOW flag as long as you command that vessel." He stated, not being able to keep a tiny hint of a smug smirk going on in the very edges of his snout. The pirate looked shaken at first, before countering with a "And how did you lot expect me to accept that?! If my people would catch me doing such a thing I'd be hung for treason towards the fleet, forced to fight in the arenas as a deserter and not to mention, I'd be shot! _Several_ times!" She exclaimed, obviously angered.

Terro simply remained calm and composed. Even if the female Skav was mere centimeters away now, having walked up towards him in anger."Because it's either that, or you'll not get a ship, and the Directors wouldn't be able to guarantee your safety either." Elmira knew when to fight or when flight was the only option, and this was one such deadlock. She folded her arms across her chest, nodding bitterly.

She was backed into a corner, with the Anointed Ones at one side, the Fellmuth fleets on the other, as well as the DOW hanging over it all with their ultimatum. She was put in a lose - lose scenario and had nothing better to do other than what her guts told her to. Bargain.

"So, when will I be able to go on my merry way without having to risk certain death?" The Fellmuth asked, awaiting a reply from the lieutenant. She wasn't expecting him to allow her even the slightest ounce of leverage, but Elmira had to admit, she is not too good at reading dragons faces.

She squinted slightly, as Terron replied: "It is not in my position to bargain here, if you wish to negotiate about the deal you'll have to bring it up with the Madame Director, not me. I could get you an appointment if you want." The earth dragon said, awaiting yet another irritated outburst.

Albeit there was none. And when he focused his view once more, the pirate was gone. "... I hate it when they do that." Terron mutters to himself, before turning to more important matters, leaving the scene.

* * *

Elmira had never been to the DOW Tower before, she had only been told that any Fellmuth whom sets a foot in there never steps out unchanged. And now she had to admit that she felt all the odd looks she'd get from the personnel, most at the mark on her forehead. Albeit she pays them no notice as she hurries her way up the long spiralling staircase leading to the offices of the Directors. She glanced at one or two odd paintings of honorary members, important people to the city itself and even one or two former employees.

Almost like a… Staircase of Fame. Elmira shook her head, as she found this to be a silly custom. The Fellmuth only told of their greatest heroes via tales and myths. People should be known for their deeds, not their ugly mugs.

However she did reach the top, catching her breath slightly before knocking at one of the two pairs of large double doors. The one she had knocked on was marked with a polished brass sign; " _Spyro"_ it said.

"Come in!" came a warm voice from inside, obviously belonging to Spyro.

Elmira did as requested, and stepped inside, casually closing the door after herself. "So, I think no introductions are in order, as I am sure you know my name by now." The pirate says, looking over at the purple saviour, as she walked over towards the male, sitting behind his desk which was cluttered with documents and scrolls.

"We've met, Elmira," came his response, "Unless you're trying to forget that meeting already. Either way, what can I do for you?"

"I've come to bargain." Elmira simply stated, sitting down in a chair, crossing her legs and leaning back, "Your mate put up some… Questionable terms if you want me to work for your little squad of do-gooders."

"Those terms were worked out by the Co-Director and the Shadows," Spyro nodded in response, "While I have reviewed them, I was not present for the decision making process. Why, are they not to your satisfaction? We can amend them, if you like."

Elmire shook her head; "Please skip the fancy talk, Spyro. You know what I mean? Or will I have to go over the horrible things that might happen if I'm caught by my own kind whilst sailing under the DOW flag?" She pointed out, intensively watching the Director. His golden horns gleaming in the rais of the sun which were streaming in from one of his many big windows, giving the purple hero a excellent view of the surrounding Warfang.

"I'm afraid that I'm not entirely aware of the cultural ramifications of this decision," responded the Director, stroking the orange frills on his chin, "The last time I had any interaction with your people, they set me into an arena several times and tried to get me to kill Cynder and a few other creatures. They didn't even stop until I soundly defeated the fleet Admiral, Skabb. So, please, enlighten me."

Elmira blinked a few times, trying to hide her surprise. From the stories she had heard, Skabb was the toughest and most fearsome Fellmuth there had ever been, and that he was slain by a dragon. She just hadn't imagined it to have been the purple dragon. "Well… Erhm, you see," The pirate started, before going over the various punishments she'd have to endure. Including the ones she had mentioned to the lieutenant earlier. "... You see what I'm dealing with, here?"

Spyro laughed for a moment, surprising the Fellmuth pirate, he stopped after a few moments and said, "So your situation is almost like my own ten years ago. Caught in a situation that you had never wanted to be in and forced to carry out a burden that you never asked for. So...you want to retain the ship for your own purposes and not serve this organization, is that it?"

Elmira nodded eagerly at his proposal; "Yes. Ideally I'd just be on my way by now, sailing back to my fleet. But I wouldn't mind aiding you in taking down Congeria's little cult either." Spyro leaned back in his seat, seemingly pondering exactly what to do about the situation that the Skav had just put him in. Leaning back towards her, he spoke.

"This is the best I can give you," he said, looking straight at her, "You will serve as a sort of privateer for the DOW during this conflict. You'll have command over your ship and crew, but ultimately the directions and advice will come from the Director and I. Does that serve you better?"

Elmira nods once. Firmly. "That sounds better. Albeit I'll probably need some form of visum signed by both of you. And I have to admit that I think the "Madame Director"," She said, doing little air quotations with two clawed fingers as she spoke. "Would approve of signing. I think we should get her here…"

"Oh, I'm already here," came Cynder's voice from behind Elmira. She had likely been standing there for a majority of the conversation, "Mate, I thought so highly of you, and you try to reform the deal behind my back?"

"You and I both know the original terms presented to Elmira would not be to her liking. This sort of arrangement will still suit both of our purposes" stated Spyro, grinning slightly at his mate's mockery.

Elmira leaned back in her chair, visibly enjoying herself as she smugly watched the two living legends, the slayers of Malefor, bicker back and forth like a older mated couple. And she was enjoying every second.

"And you think that you have the exclusive rights to renegotiate agreements that you yourself already agreed to, is that it?" shot back Cynder, looking far from contempt with her mates sudden compromise of her plans.

"Of course not, beloved," responded Spyro, grimacing, "Sometimes it is simply more efficient to forego the traditional agreements and decide on something that is simply more appeasing for both sides-"

"You don't get to decide that, Spyro!" she shot back, angry, but not shouting, "We agreed when we took over this organization that this would be a mutually-agreed upon leadership. We would not go behind the other's back to accomplish anything, do anything without the other's approval. Why change that for something as small as this?"

Spyro looked down, clearly ashamed, "Because this crisis is unlike anything we've faced since then. We need Elmira's agreement to make this relationship beneficial for her and for us."

Cynder grinned at this and shook her head, "It was necessary, hm?" quoting the Purple dragon.

That is when the pirate once more opened her maw; "This little bickering argument was amusing. I'll give you that. But your purple lover over there has a point, Cynder." She simply stated.

"Either you thought you were cléver to restrict me with a DOW signature, but I am now obviously seeing your great interest in my welfare." She continued, propping herself up in her seat, as her voice was gaining it's trademark ironic undertone.

"Your sarcasm does you little credit, Skav," responded Cynder, her voice stern, "This is a partnership of convenience, that is all."

"Oh, so now my respectless tone is the problem, madame?" The Skav retorted, now standing up. "You see, Cynder… Convenience normally requires both parties to be on a positive to yearn wanted results. It wouldn't be too good if I were to… Oh I dunno.." She was slowly gaining a smug grin, her golden and silvery replacements gleaming in the light of the setting sun. "Fire upon a friendly DOW ship during a battle?"

"I would hunt you down and butcher you like the animal you are, Skav," responded the Black dragoness, growling.

Elmira wasn't taken aback by the threat of the former Terror of the Skies. But she was willing to see how far she could take this. Because despite everything the Fellmuth pirate had been put through, she yet had to reveal her Trump card in this little play. And Cynder didn't know it yet, but her cards just ran out.

"Oh, is that a little hint of something I hear? Listen closely Spyro. I am certain you've heard that undertone before, maybe whilst you were in a old fortress known as Concurrent Skies? The Dark Master's _puppet_ seems to have some strings left, still attached."

Spyro stood up and tried to hold back Cynder before she flew into a blind rage. The black dragoness was seething, her jade eyes sent Elmira a glare, which would be fatal if looks could kill. It seemed that the very mere mention of Malefor set her into a stage of absolute anger.

"Let's try not to antagonize the Black dragoness, shall we?" said Spyro with a serious tone, "Cynder, beloved, perhaps it would be best if you left the room for the time being."

Cynder wanted no part of this. Ripping herself from her mate, she pounced at the Fellmuth, attempting to dig her sharp claws into the canine's face. Even if Cynder was fast, Elmira was faster. The Fellmuth managed to dodge under the dragoness who was flying towards her, rolling up on her feet, as she dragged her cutlass, taking a stance.

Spyro was meanwhile attempting to meddle peace between the two; "Cynder… Please, just try to calm yourself!" He pleaded. But Elmira had also had enough. Time to get some payback on this damned organisation.

"Yeah, Cynder? Leave with the tail between your legs, because we both know you wouldn't stand a chance without the Proxy magic giving you an edge." She egged on, grinning.

Cynder hissed angrily, landing next to the Fellmuth and delivering a roundhouse swipe to her legs with her tail. The Skav quickly jumped over the swipe and attempted to use her cutlass to strike the Black dragoness across the face. This forced Cynder back, as she didn't wish to get stabbed. Cynder knew she was at a disadvantage here, as she prefered to keep environmental damage to a minimum, and very much so to the point that she doesn't even dare using any of her elements, risking hitting Spyro.

Elmira reached for her flintlock, still keeping her gaze fixated upon the dark dragoness as she drew the weapon in one quick movement…

Blam!

Cynder flinched. She was sure that she was dead now. That is when the smoke cleared and Spyro was seen in between the two. A metal bullet held between his fangs. He spat the projectile out, and Elmira dropped her pistol, knowing she wouldn't have time to reload. But she knew something she could do instead. So the pirate lunged forth, vaulting over the purple hero and doing a last-ditch attempt to swing her cutlass at the Madame Director.

And she felt that she had hit something. She glanced at her cutlass. Red was dripping from the curved blade onto the fortunately red carpet. The pirate gave a cocky grin: "Oh, did I hurt you?"

Spyro turned around slowly and took in what she was seeing.

The cutlass had caught onto the Black dragoness' face, a gash across her eye and neck had quickly formed. She looked up at Spyro, whimpering something unintelligible before passing out onto the floor. Bleeding profusely.

Spyro turned back around, his eyes burning as if set aflame. Before the Fellmuth could react, a strong force sent her flying backwards into a wall, breaking the bookshelf she had hit, leading to the Skav not only getting knocked out, but also having a few books fall down onto her unconscious form.

" _Medic!"_

* * *

 **A/N: Here we go! We are once more back with another chapter. And some good old drama to come with it!**

 **Well. Some drama, involving a cutlass to the face, the introduction of a key character and Spyro not telling his mate about important things. Besides all that, Mike and I are deeply sorry for taking over a month to get anything out. But sadly the truth is… Holidays can be a mess, especially when they all take place during the weekends when we're normally appointed to writing!**

 **Now since the new year is up and going, we're wishing you guys a happy 2017, and hoping it'll only get better from here on out! We appreciate every little point of feedback and reviews we get, and it helps us to see what you guys want to read and it helps us with making Call of the Ancestors even better! So make sure to do that, and if you're new, make sure to Follow, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!**

 **See you guys in a few weeks with another chapter!**

 **-Mike & Hawk**


	8. Chapter 8

**Call of the Ancestors**

 **Chapter 8: Consequences.**

Elmira came to her senses once more. Her entire body was aching. Who would've thought a bookshelf could hurt that badly? She didn't open her eyes. She didn't need nor want to. She proceeded to use her other senses instead. There was a slight chill in the air, she realized that was laying on a smooth cold stone surface. Marble, as gods-be-damned usual. A frisk breeze. Open window? Bars? Assuming by the weights at her wrists she was probably chained up. She raised one of her paws a few centimeters above the cold marble floor. Her muscles ached and she heard the rattling of chains. Nothing loud, but they were there.

The pirate groaned slightly, as she felt the familiar hard cold iron press around her wrists, a collar around her neck and a chain around her waist as well. It seemed like they really did want to restrict her.

This caused a small and barely noticeable smile to spread across the canine's lips. She took a deep breath, before she struggled up on her knees. The chains were rattling as she opened her eyes. Yep, she was in a cell once more. And she dared to say that even that interrogation room were nicer than this. The air was at least refreshing, as behind her was a tiny window with strong steel bars. Outside she saw the twinkling stars of the night sky. She couldn't spot the city far below though, making her assume she wasn't on the bottom floor.

The fellmuth turned towards the door to her cell, and she found a guard. A mole dressed in one of those black garbs the Shadows wore. Of course, she had some form of stately employed trained killer guarding the cell door she could not even walk up to. She knew to not underestimate that little rodent. Sure, their short stature and reliance on dragons in greater scale of combat usually made people automatically assume moles were only fit for matters requiring the mind. But Elmira had fought moles before. And even the dullest of them could turn a chandelier into a firearm if equipped with gunpowder and some hemp. So the door was not an option…

That was when she saw some light approaching the otherwise dark room. Appears people were coming to visit her. Or a guard shift, Elmira had to only wait and see.

And in stepped two familiar faces, escorted by the Earth dragon Terron whom was carrying a lantern in his maw, lighting their path. And judging by the look on the two captains' faces, neither of them were too happy to see her.

Sethelis' glare felt as unpleasant as Elmira had expected. Albeit when she heard the dragoness requesting that anyone but her and Miarko should leave the room, the pirate felt a sting of worry. "Going to torture me some more?" She sneered at the two captains, getting up on her paws.

The shadow captain only shook her midnight blue scaly head. "Only if necessary, prisoner."

The new title she had seemingly earned made Elmira place her paw over her chest, pretending to be mockingly flattered; "Oh, am I a prisoner now too? Not just a skav, pirate, scavenger, former cultist, murderer and possibly the biggest arsonist on this side of the Skyhaven? I've always wanted to add that to my long list of titles. Elmira the prisoner, suits me doesn't it? I've got shackles and all!" She said, holding out her arms as if to show off her chains.

The shadows in the room seemingly darkened with the dragoness' growing anger or possible frustration.

Elmira was only guessing, at least. The two were hard to read, Fellmuths were more…. Vocal and physical about their thoughts. And so far the usually talkative Fire dragon had kept quiet. This admittedly surprised the pirate slightly.

"Anything the gentleman in the room has to say?"

Miarko had silently entered the room from the one single heavy-looking door the incarceration room held, his red scales easily identifiable to the Fellmuth. He had remained completely silent until called out by the Skav. He looked up then, his blue eyes shining out towards her, glimmering with emotion. He stood up quickly, the cell door being opened by what was assumed to be one of Sethelis' little tricks with the shadowy darkness, and moved to the pirate, putting his claws under her throat and forcing her to look up at him.

"You betrayed the trust that we gave you and assaulted our Director. Don't get cute with me, pirate scum," he finished, spitting in her face and walking back into the dark part of the room.

"Charming as ever, Captain," she said, slightly taken aback by the previously level-headed Fire dragon's sudden anger. In a way, Elmira had anticipated such a thing, as fire dragons were known to be hotheaded by nature. However she hadn't prepared for such sudden… Action.

"So...with that out of the way, to what do I owe the pleasure?" she asked, directing the question at Sethelis.

The shadow dragoness stepped into the cell, passing Miarko as he walked away. Her expression remained relatively neutral. "Besides the rather obvious reasons to us being here, with your latest actions in account and all." She starts, looking up at the pirate. Her one eye meeting the canine's. "I am here to deliver you a little warning. As of your actions, we're technically forced to stop our work with ensuring your safety, and you'll be deported as soon as your oncoming ship is complete."

"What about my guarantee with the Director?" spat the Fellmuth, "He hasn't rescinded his offer just because of our little spat, has he?"

Sethelis frowned slightly upon hearing this question. "We have yet to hear from Spyro, he hasn't said or done much over the last 24 hours. And contacting him indirectly has been rewarded with stubborn silence." She replied, sitting down on her haunches, "And as you might've noticed, your actions has made you rather unpopular and infamous…"

"More than unpopular," came Miarko's voice again, "Most citizens that have been made aware of it want your head."

"Oh? The city loves their Terror of the Skies again, is that it, Captain Miarko?" asked the Canine, still being sarcastic despite her current situation.

"Cynder has proven herself time and time again to be a servant of this city, clearly unlike what you want to accomplish with your time, Skavenger," countered the Fire dragon, still using the racist slur for her species.

"I owe no loyalty to anyone but myself, Miarko. Myself and my crew are the only things that matter to me. I thought a being of your intelligence would realize this, but maybe I misjudged you…" spouted off the Fellmuth, yawning.

Miarko approached her and drew his claws across her face, tearing through the fur and part of the skin underneath, drawing blood.

* * *

That was when Miarko knew that he'd continue. He was angry, felt his element fueling it all. And he knew very well that he wouldn't stop. Unless Sethelis had stepped in. His initial feeling was frustration, as the Fire Captain suddenly felt how the shadows in the moonlit room prevented him to move. Forcing him to slowly walk backwards and out of the cell.

"Sorry, Miarko." He heard Sethelis' voice as the cell door shut between him, the shadow dragoness and the pirate.

Miarko was at first about to complain, however he quickly remembered that during the whole brief time he had known Sethelis, she wasn't one to argue we wanted to argue with.

The shadow dragoness nodded in his direction, releasing him from her hold. The Fire dragon then laid down on his belly, watching the two intensively.

" _One faulty step, one insult in the wrong place about either her, the director or anything else in general and you're a charred corpse, pirate._ " He thought as he listened in on the conversation.

Miarko held back a smirk as he saw the skavenger place a paw on her cheek, noticing how he drew blood.

"I know this might sound troublesome, Elmira. And I'll be straightforward with you; You're not safe within the city walls. Neither are you safe outside of them. Quite frankly…. You need to disappear." The Shadow dragoness stated, looking upon the pirate seriously, barely even blinking.

"Disappearing isn't exactly my strong suit, your Shadowiness," responded the Pirate, having come up with a nickname for the 18th's Captain, "I prefer to be infamous to unknown in my line of work. Helps with the reputation, you see."

As the pirate's words reached the Shadow dragoness, Miarko saw how her demeanor changed, from serious and composed to something only describable as held back excitement. The Shadow dragoness Shadowstepped through the bars. Almost tugging at Miarko. "We need to talk."

"What's wrong?" asked the Fire dragon.

As the door to the cell block shut behind them, Sethelis turned to answer Miarko's question with two things. First a frown; "You got carried away," then she started to walk, talking over her shoulder, "You done a background check on that Fellmuth yet? Or shall I debrief you in my office? Or yours for that matter." She asked, raising her right wing slightly, revealing a scroll case tucked away safely under her silvery wing.

"I've had my men dug up what they could, but we're not spies. I'm a soldier, for Mover's sake, so are my men. What have you discovered?" asked the impatient Fire dragon, his element showing.

The Shadow dragoness chuckled slightly. "You're very easily irritated. Was going to say cute but that would be too cliché. And no, as I am the spy of us two, I demand we go to an office before anything else." She firmly stated, leading the fiery dragon, whom felt his temper going from irritated to annoyed back and forth during their whole trip.

The two made their way up into the 17th floor.

And once at Miarko's desk, Sethelis opened the scroll case, which held surprisingly little. "As your men are "simple" soldiers, I assume you at least managed to find out which fleet she hails from?"

"The Ukerna Fleet. Hail from the Northern Kingdoms, from as far as we can tell. Possibly as far north as Vyanfar, but we weren't able to tell. Those are rough seas up there, not to mention the skies if the fleet took to the air, meaning she's an experienced ship Captain. You'd think that being named after Ukernan would mean they hail from there, but the crew was sourced from all over. Most of her crew, although it's not well know, are contained in the Prison outside the City. It would take more than just the Directors to free that many inmates at once. What about you? What have you discovered?"

Sethelis brought up a simple sheet of parchment. It had a distinct scent of rum all over it. And the blots all over the material indicated someone might've poured a mug of the liquor over the parchment at some point. It seemingly depicted a hierarchical ladder. Before lightly tapping one name surprisingly far up with the tip of her tail; "I do indeed know a few more rather important details. For an example: She were not only a top duelist, but also in the position of Under Captain, capable of being part of the electoral process of choosing the fleet admiral." She explained.

"And finding her here of all places must only indicate one thing; She's been kicked out. And I happen to also know for what reason; Like in most of their fleets, people get to step down either due to old age, albeit unlikely. Or they get dethroned and usurped. Most likely the latter in Elmira's case. All we need to do is to turn her frustration over that to our advantage. See what I'm aiming at here?" Sethelis asked, tilting her head slightly. The Fire dragon opposed to her nodded.

"You want to use her," He stated. Leading to the Shadow re-adjusting her eyepatch slightly.

"Well, yes. To be honest. But that is what I do, and you know I couldn't even tell you less than half of it." She mentions, glancing over.

"Hm, maybe I'll make you squeal it out next time we have the chance," said the Fire dragon, trying to distract her from the actual matter on hand. The fiery drake smiled as he noticed his success.

Sethelis had averted her gaze, rather blatantly flustered. "... Did you really have to make me think of such things when I'm on the job?" She asked the fire captain in a prude manner. Starting upon a new sentence just before evidently regretting it, Miarko noting how her voice quieted down to a murmur towards the end;

"And I-… I don't squeal. Not that much at least…" The fire captain's smirk widened slightly as he continued, he was about to enjoy himself.

"Are you sure about that? I can say by experience that you're lying." He stated smugly, leaning forwards against the desk slightly, placing his both forepaws atop the flat wooden surface. Miarko had to give it to himself, from what he could see, she was like clay in his paws, and he was shaping her to his will. And Miarko's current goal was to put her at ease. Even if it meant making her as shy as a younger dragon meeting their first ever crush

Glancing at her once again, he could already see that she was out of her zone: She had started to once more occupy herself with correcting that eyepatch of hers, and this told Miarko he was on the right track. The Fire captain felt a slight sense of accomplishment, knowing he was the one causing no one other than the Captain of the Shadows, the seemingly biggest collection of people who were incapable of feeling anything in the entire collection of islands that is the Dragon Realms, to act as if she'd had a sip of one of those "love potions" many works of fiction mentioned. Except Miarko knew very well… He didn't need to cheat.

"Need some help with that? Want me to come over?" He asked, trying to keep a little chuckle in as Sethelis' eye widened slightly.

"N-No thank you. I can manage just fine." The Shadow dragoness replied, as he felt her tail blade lightly tap his. He merely raised an eye ridge at the female captain. Sethelis simply proceeded to look back at the document between the two.

"We need to stay focused, I get it." He started, rolling his eyes. "But that doesn't mean I can't escort the pretty girl home later, now can I?" This seemingly caused poor Sethelis to "break", as she snorted in a surprised manner and she began urgently collecting her things.

"Is that a yes?" Miarko asked calmly. The dragoness looked up after she had tucked the scroll away under her wing.

Giving him a nod. "You're right. I'd dare say my house is safer than this office, besides… It's a easily a much more defendable position." She stated, even if Miarko assumed that she was silently hoping for something else.

The captain of the 17th got up from his haunches, and sauntered over to the office door, opening it with a slight creak; "Dragonesses first."

* * *

Ancestors, he was distracting.

They needed to review all of the information that the Shadows had gathered and get ready for what was to come. But...Miarko was not making it that easy on the Shadow Captain. It seemed that he never had mating far from his mind. And it was bothering her beyond what she imagined possible in more than just one way.

As the Shadow captain led the Fire dragon up to her door she looked both ways, almost as if making sure they weren't followed. "Well… Here we are." She started, looking over at Miarko whom seemed slightly puzzled over one detail; "... Are you not afraid to have your home broken into? There is no lock."

Sethelis rolled her eye, sighing. She had assumed he could've figured out that a mere door is the very least line of protecting herself someone like her would use. The shadow dragoness proceeded to turn into a black mist, seeping in under the door. Only to start unlocking the four different kinds of internal locks she had installed on the inside before pushing the door open. "Still safer than your bedroom." She commented.

As Miarko walked past her, Sethelis couldn't let it go unnoticed how there was a distinct chill in the air. Almost as if Autumn were to come early. This sudden change of weather didn't bother her more than if it'd started to rain on an otherwise sunny day either, so she shut her door. As she was locking all the locks once more, she heard Miarko speak out behind her. "Are you sure you really need that many locks?"

The Shadow Captain spoke up, turning to face the male. "One can never be too safe." Before she proceeded to lead him into her living room. The two got themselves comfortable on a set of cushions and pillows in front of the warming embers of the cooking pit stationed in the middle of the room, before they got back into the discussion they had started in Miarko's office.

"So, you want us to give the person who pretended to want to help us, only to later successfully harm the Madame Director, a station of power?" The Fire dragon asked his shadowy companion.

She in turn nodded in an affirmative manner. "Yes."

"But why…?" Came the simple reply from the Captain of the 17th.

This, in turn, lead to Sethelis elaborating: "Because she isn't willing to help us now. This might be of several reasons. However if we give her a big major reason to aid us instead, like… Making her a fleet admiral, gives us a opportunity to make her not only want to help the DOW but gains us a powerful and invaluable ally in this fight against the 'Noints and Congeria." She explained. But Miarko didn't seem convinced. He stroked the frills on his chin with a paw as he spoke.

"But what if she refuses?"

Sethelis got a gleam in her eye which Miarko looked like he didn't know if he'd find it unsettling or possibly cute. His facial expression showed a mixture of both.

Sethelis smiled to herself inwardly, knowing that she could read him like a open book when he wasn't all secluded from her. And going from the psych file she had managed to gather from her agents about her partner it said that the Fire dragon was most likely going to do… His move soon.

" _Not that I'd give him a chance."_ She thought to herself, " _This is a time for work, not pleasure_."

"If the pirate refuses, we'll back her into a corner. Simple." The Shadow dragoness explained, her tail whisking along the floor as she spoke.

"Back her into a corner? How?" asked the Fire dragon, still staring fixedly at the Shadow dragoness.

Sethelis coiled her neck slightly, a light bow of sorts. "Easy, she knows her situation. Either we choose to help her, or she'll be out in the wild storm coming for her."

"I assume you've already created something along those lines to force her into this situation. Besides the obvious threat of her hanging from the wall in basement of the Tower," Miarko replied with a grin.

Sethelis took great pride in her work. Even if she knew very well that she technically couldn't stake any claims on it. "I have indeed." She cleverly replied to the Fire breathing dragon. "But I assume you'll enjoy somewhat of a little revenge against her now, will you?"

"Hm, you know me so well already. Any foreigner that hurts my family and betrays us won't be around to get away with it...normally. But I guess I'll make an exception just this once. That being said, what do you have in mind for me with this little errand?"

Sethelis chuckled slightly. "Well, it wouldn't be good for us if you walked around the Warfang streets, agitating people into demanding her hung. What I'd say for you to do is to await her realisation. I'll pull a few strings to direct her to you if she comes to anyone else about it first." The dragoness started, glancing upon her fellow Captain.

"Her realisation?" asked Miarko, squinting, "What, that her ways are flawed and she needs to repent in the eyes of the Mover? What do you mean?"

Sethelis rolled her eye at this, "Ha ha ha. Very funny Miarko. No, what I meant was for her to realize that she cannot do anything besides come back to us, in the case that she'd refuse. And we'd place her under a… Slightly less restrictive ultimatum than what Cynder might've done."

"And how do you plan to do such a thing?" Miarko shot back.

"By stating the facts." Came Sethelis' reply. The shadow dragoness was occupied with studying her ivory colored claws as she spoke, holding her right front paw up before her eye for closer study.

"You see, here in the city people want her head. The DOW won't help her without a favor in return, and outside of the City the 'Noints and her fellow pirates are out for her as well. She has enemies on all sides."

"And we'll, well, _you'll_ , appear to be in her best interest, appealing to her sense of impending doom. You know, this might just work…" came Miarko's reply, stroking his growths again.

Sethelis nodded. "I knew you'd get it. Eventually." She said, the latter part of her sentence having a slight… Uncertain joking tune about it. Sethelis wasn't sure if she should've said that or not. Nevermind, done is done.

"Now, anything else that is important on our agenda?"

Miarko opened his mouth to protest but then quickly shut it again, shaking his head and facing back around towards her, grinning, "Well...there are a couple of options." He said, with a lewd tone coming from his maw.

This threw Sethelis off her usually calm and collected focus once more.

"Oh really?" She blurted out, not really thinking on her words rather than just talking. Something she had found being not in her interests most of the time… But now all reason and logic was flung out the window.

"Heh, maybe later. Once you get done with work?" he replied, backing away and grinning slightly.

Sethelis decided that those thoughts were indeed to be considered later. "Indeed. So before that, all I'll need is to go and send a few letters. All of whom I had prepared in advance. So… Er… Feel free to stay. It'll only be a few minutes. Half an hour tops." She told Miarko, getting up on her paws once more, and then walked towards the small hallway, which lead to her door.

Miarko nodded at her, smiling and said, "Well, I'll see you in a bit, then."

Sethelis nodded back and closed the door behind her, leaving the Fire dragon alone in her dwelling.

* * *

As the Fire Captain looked around the room he was in, the glow from the flickering torches lighting up what he'd assumed to be the largest room in the whole apartment. And he couldn't help himself but to raise an eyeridge when he noticed some of the paintings Sethelis had hung up on the walls. Some replicas of finer works. But he dared actually assume some were real originals. Miarko got up on his paws, and looked around further. The room wasn't sparsely furnished either, as he for some reason had assumed when he originally had heard the name Sethelis linked to the word "Home".

She clearly spent time in this dwelling more than once, time had been placed in each and every piece of furniture into putting in the exact right place. It was a typical three room apartment, containing the main room, bedroom and bathroom. Sethelis wasn't living in the lap of luxury by any means, but it wasn't too shabby either.

Something on the far end of the room caught the dragon's eye and he strode over, noticing that in the far corner of the room, there was a pile of cushions arranged in a very awkward sort of way. Either she didn't care about this area or she used it quite frequently. On the floor were a selection of novels and texts, all left open or having bookmarks in them. Sethelis had struck the Fire dragon as the reading type, but what did she read?

He turned over a few novels: " _Late Nights in Dante's: Cold Hearts Still Beat."_ , " _The Edge of Town: Murder on Culinary Street,"_

But there was one novel in particular that truly caught the Fire Dragon's attention. It's leather cover designed so that it'd be reminiscent of red dragon scales.

" _Fire Dragons, a Compilation."_ The subtext that explained the title made the Fire dragon grin slightly, " _This book is written by Fire dragons, published by Fire dragons… And read by everyone else! We can all claim know at least one dragon of the Fire element, and it is time you learn about them; their culture, their way of thinking, what they're known for, and, most importantly, how to react when they pounce on you in the bedroom!"_

The last line was seemingly underlined with some sort of writing utensil, and had a page number scribbled on it. Miarko chuckled again and opened the book to the page that it specified and found even more scribbles in the section. Notes about the...diagrams that were included, including some overviews of the...erogenous zones. She had scribbled down in the margin on one diagram, " _Note the differences in sizes, perhaps he's more than most?"_

Miarko nearly fell over reading that, laughing to himself. Despite the creepiness aspect to it, he found it quite funny and almost endearing in a way. She was trying her best to make sure she had a good performance, and the more experienced Fire dragon had to appreciate her for that. The readings had certainly benefited her in their first encounter.

He stood back up, looking around for anything else of note. Besides the frying embers in the cooking pit in the center of the room, Miarko really couldn't see much else besides a table at the far end of the room, with a collection of… What appeared to be smaller portraits in picture frames. And a simple mat gathering dust on the floor.

Wait. She had picture frames?

Miarko approached the table, noting how it was covered in a distinct layer of dust. Sethelis had apparently not touched these in a while. The frames varied from simple and wooden to one made out of metal. Silver?

One of the frames held a picture of a presumed younger Sethelis, back when both her eyes still were intact.

Miarko couldn't let it slide that she certainly only had gotten prettier with time. The fire dragon was careful not to touch any of the frames, suspecting the Shadow Dragoness most likely would notice such a thing. Another frame was of the adult Sehtelis, having her distinct mixture of uncertain smile and neutral look upon her face, sitting in her trademark armor together with three other people on what appeared to be the steps of the DOW tower. A date was scribbled onto a corner of the picture, dating the picture to approximately 7 years ago.

A female Cheetah with grey fur and a leopard pattern looking overall excited, doing a V sign. A stern dragon of… unidentifiable element, as he seemingly didn't want to show much of his appearance, wearing what appeared to be a prototype of the black garbs of the 18th. And another Cheetah. However he had his back turned towards the rest, glancing at whoever drew the picture with a look which said " _I don't want to be a part of this."._ The only thing revealing about that one was a bright yellow fur with stripes. The Captain did however not have much more time, as he heard the sounds of paws in the hallway.

"Hello? Miarko, you still here?"

Miarko quickly turned around and faced Sethelis, just returning from her errand.

He grinned, saying, "I made myself at home. I didn't make any food though...should've thought of that!"

The dragoness tilted her head, chuckling. "If you are still hungry I could get you something. Or are you thirsty perhaps? I'm sure I have something…" She offered.

"Thirsty? I mean, I thought that _you_ might be…" offered the Fire dragon, grinning and laughing as he said it.

Sethelis sighed, seemingly enjoying his "joke" more than she'd liked to admit. "So the rumours are true, you're one of those males who thinks with your fifth leg, aren't you?" She asks with the same tone, leading the Fire dragon to what could be assumed to be a pantry. Opening up the smaller wooden door and looking into the small space. The dragoness stepped halfway inside, only her hind legs and partially her wings still out by the Captain.

"Oh! I thought I had-... Well. I suppose this could do?" Her voice was heard, slightly muffled, as she re-emerged holding a green wine bottle by the bottleneck in her maw.

"Wine, hm? You really do want to do this right, don't you?" he asked, grinning slightly as he sat down.

This lead to the dragoness looking at him with a confused manner. "What? It's all I have, and the local freshwater fountain is under repair." She explained. Until her gears suddenly started rolling and she seemingly realised what the male had meant.  
"Right. Maybe I do... " She started, placing the bottle before him; "Go somewhere you feel like and open that. I'll get some glasses." She stated, before turning into a black mist and seemingly evaporating before his very eyes.

Miarko shook his head, smiling. He sat down in her reading corner, and opened the bottle. It was a Modern Red, from one of the wineries around Warfang. Not expensive, but not the worst her money could buy.

The clinking sounds of glass could be heard as Sethelis made her re-entry, careful to walk softly, having a pair of wine glasses somehow grasped with just one paw. "I see you've found my books." The dragoness remarks, placing the two glasses before the Fire dragon. "Now make me some space, please…"

Miarko moved his romp over and curled into a position where she wouldn't be able to sit down without being close to him. Upon noting this, he noticed how Sethelis at first seemed just a little reluctant.

He grinned as he did, saying, "Sure, here you go."

The Shadow dragoness then slid down upon the vibrant array of colored cushions, blankets and pillows, Miarko noting how his body temperature were several degrees higher than hers. "Hotblooded." He could've sworn she murmured to herself. Never-minding that, he poured her some of that wine.

"... So, Miarko. I've wanted to ask you a question ever since we started this whole ordeal."

"Please, ask," he responded, taking a drink.

"What made you join th in the first place? The official record states that you went directly from your education to this, following the siege? A patriotic surge?"

"If you've seen my record, then you probably know who my parents are, correct? Two of the dragons who defended Warfang against the Dark Master's forces ten years back. Needless to say, I was groomed to take the same position as my parents from the start. So was my sister, but she's another story. Suffice to say, I studied to be a soldier, I wanted to be a soldier, and now...I am a soldier," he explained slowly, staring down at her.

The stare didn't phase the dragoness. Majorly because he was facing the side of her which donned the eyepatch. However she did respond; "Yes. Your parents. I never actually suspected you to be from a well-off family. N-Not to be rude or anything like that!" She spoke, rapidly excusing herself as if she'd already offended the male. "So, you big bad soldier. How's the wine?"

"Modern Red, hm?" he responded, "It's one of my favorites, especially the Warfangian fermented types. It's a nice mix, truly."

"You sound like you're authoring a brochure, Miarko." Sethelis commented, rolling her eye and sipping the red liquid. "And I have to say that for a captain, not that I speak to many captains, I didn't expect to be paired up with you. I now see it was a bad thing to trust my own judgement."

"And what's so bad about me being partnered with you, eh?" asked the Fire Dragon, slightly curious as to why she had brought it up.

"You see, I knew about you infamous… _Record_ from last year. I mean… Near 200 dragonesses in one year is just a very intimidating number. And I was frankly worried you'd be more focused on trying to bed me rather than trying to actually put an end to the Anointed Ones."

"Heh," he began, chuckling nervously, "You, ah, heard about that, did you? Any...thoughts as to that little fact?" This placed a surprised look upon the Shadow dragoness' face.

"Is that nervosity I hear? Here I was, thinking you'd be incapable of feeling such emotions." The Shadow Captain stated, and Miarko noted how she didn't give a straight answer.

"Being cornered by your new...ah, partner on this sort of subject isn't the most comfortable position that you could place me in the world, no. Not that you would understand how I'm feeling at the moment."

The Fire captain's response seemingly got a reaction, as Sethelis frowned slightly. "You're right, I don't understand how you feel. But something I understand on the subject is easy; My own thoughts. And since you actually asked, I'll deliver." She looked upon him, her yellow eye with its slitted pupil looking into what felt like his very soul.

"It's a impressive number, but you shall know that if you expect to go along nicely with me, I want some kind of assurance that I wouldn't find you with someone else behind my wings."

"Uh...do you want flowers or something?" asked the Fire captain, a mix of humor and seriousness in his voice.

This lead to the Shadow dragoness rather uncharacteristically giggling, before she laid down on her back and glanced up at the male; "Well, will let you know that I'm a fan of classic red roses. But I was more thinking of something else. Maybe a "momentary proof"?"

"A, ah, momentary proof, Seth?" he asked, tilting his head to one side, confused.

"I'm really bad at hinting at things. I could write a coded message behind my back with my tail if I needed to, but you'd not be able to read it." She groaned in a reply, apparently bothered by his confusion and her ineptness when it comes to being subtle.

"I'm used to using different, more short term language than what you're using here," he said, chuckling once, "I'm very overt, as you know. I'm sure you can help me out here…"

The shadow dragoness looked back up at him. Nodding. "I can make you understand without even saying a word." She daringly stated, a unusually self-assured smirk gracing her snout.

"Uh...are you thinking of…?" he asked, the usually confident Fire dragon getting somewhat nervous at the unexpected advances of the normally shy Shadow captain.

And the normally shy dragon didn't reply. This only puzzled the Fire dragon further. And he did give her a questioning look.

Sethelis shook her head again; "... And that was my vague attempt at saying _kiss me damnit_! Am I really that bad?" She asked, her tone joking and yet ever so slightly bit back.

"Eh, more or less. Okay, yes. Yes, it was pretty bad," he replied, laughing again, despite their current situation, "But I'm willing to oblige." The Fire dragon said as he pounced on top of her and did as the dragoness requested. Despite the suddenness of it all, the two came to enjoy the moments which were sure to follow.

* * *

Elmira couldn't claim that she hadn't been put behind bars before. Arson, theft, raiding, and even one case of sacrilege, she had done practically everything under the sun. However, she had never been kept in a place as secure and tight in security as this. At least they normally let her roam her own cell. The Skav glanced towards her current guard. They seemingly swapped every two hours. And they never responded to her when she tried to get into contact either.

She scanned the room. She had counted the tiles in the roof at least twenty times now, and the number never changed. Always 42. Sadly there didn't seem to be much else to do to make time pass. "Hey. You there, handsome? I mean, what is your purpose to be here unless you mean to keep a pretty lady company?" She tauntingly asked. The Cheetah guarding the cell kept his back turned to her.

But this time her keen hearing could've sworn she caught a reaction.

The guard had sighed in annoyance.

"Come on now. This must be as boring for you as it is for me." The pirate continued. She noted how the Guard moved his head slightly to look out a window. Check on time. About time for him to move it seemed, because he silently started walking towards the door out of the incarceration area. This gave Elmira the chance she needed.

Being a pirate usually meant you'd need some way to break out of a tight spot when you're in one. And Elmira, being no amateur, had a trick up her sleeve. Or rather…

Stuck to her ear.

The pirate quickly reached up, and after some fiddling with her claws, the chains clattering quietly as she worked to free one of her little golden trinkets. A small golden dragon snaking it's way up along a silver pin.

The trick in this case was that the pin was detachable, giving the Skav a makeshift lockpick. Elmira smirked to herself as she lowered her hands quickly, hearing the steps that were coming along the single corridor leading in. It is a shame that she was locked up in what appeared to be solitary wing. She'd be capable to start a riot otherwise.

The door opened to reveal what appeared to be a ordinary DOW soldier. No… A pair of DOW soldiers. They seemingly had ran out of Shadows at the moment.  
Or so Elmira assumed, at least.

That's when the lock to the chains keeping her in place went _click!_

" _Phew…"_ The pirate inwardly thought, noticing how the chains didn't drop to the ground as soon as she picked the lock.

Made her nervous for a second, there.  
One of her new guards was a fire dragoness with the horns of a ram, colored in shining bronze. She coiled her neck to look into the cell; "No funny business." She stated to Elmira, whom gave a grin in return. Concealing the fact that she could walk towards the door at any second, being free of her restraints. She hid this fact by tucking her hands close to her chest, sitting down on the ground.

 _Biding her time…_

And her patience eventually paid itself off; as one of her two guards seemingly was bored to the point of having to talk.  
"So you're the one who disfigured Cynder, huh?" The male guard asked, glancing into the cell.

Elmira rolled her eyes in return; "No. I'm the sugarplum fairy, and I told her to cut down on her sweets."

The pirate got a snort from the dragon, as he struggled to keep laughter in, this in turn made his female companion swat him over the back of his head with her wing.

Elmira thought to herself; " _These two idiots wouldn't notice that I was gone even if I so left them a note."_ Feeling a devious grin creeping along her snout, as she got up on her paws. She figured she'd be strong enough to use her chains for this next step.

The chains rattled slightly.

Her "Guards" didn't suspect a thing…

* * *

 **A/N: Well. It's been a little while, hasn't it? You have our apologies for being absent for so long. Hawk and I are only able to meet up to write once a week and the past few weeks our appointment has been somewhat strained due to time constraints. But now we're back and ready to go. As you read this we're already starting on the next chapter!**

 **Thanks for sticking with us. We've got a lot more to show you.**

 **-Mike & Hawk**


	9. Chapter 9

**Call of the Ancestors**

 **Chapter 9: On the Offensive**

Miarko awoke slowly, his eyes being able to open quickly, due to the lack of light in the room. Sethelis wasn't known for her bright and shining disposition, and the curtains around her room that barred light from entering certainly didn't help from changing that image of her.

But Miarko knew better.

Turning over, Sethelis was already standing on the opposite side of the room. It was a weekend still, but Miarko anticipated having to be called back into the office during these sort of cases. The situation with Elmira remained unresolved and they needed to get back to their investigation. He had gotten what he wanted out of Sethelis. At least for now.

Sethelis looked over at him, hearing the rustle that his moving around in bed was causing. It looked like she was making...food?

She smiled lightly and said, "Good morning, captain 'snore'. I'm making some breakfast, and if you want it you better get out of that bed ASAP, soldier."

Miarko groaned and rolled out of bed, almost literally, "I thought I was done with the boot camp stuff when I finished with training."

"You are still in a military organisation, Captain. And do not think for a second that life won't come crashing down hard on you. Even if life comes in the shape of food." Sethelis replied, looking back at the meal she was preparing.

"That's not the direction I thought this conversation would turn," Miarko responded, earning a chuckle from his fellow captain.

"Oh? And where did _you_ think it'd go?"

"Something not involving the 'direction of my life. You know what I mean?" responded the Fire dragon, picking himself up and approaching her, kissing her on the cheek, "What are you making?"

Sethelis looked surprised upon the gentle sign of affection. Or at least as far as Miarko could tell, as he was on her blind-side. "Oh, just some simple venison. I hope you didn't expect a fancy salad to come with it, as I've not been up for longer than… An hour?" She replied, studying the pieces of meat closer.

Miarko felt the scent of meat over a fire filling his nostrils, and he had to admit… he was hungry, "Heh, that's alright. I don't eat salads all the time anyways. Venison is a staple for me regardless."

"Good to know that we prefer the same kind of foods, then." Sethelis replied, vaguely leaning onto the Fire dragon next to her. "I hope my cooking is reaching to your standards, at least." She says in a semi-serious manner.

"I guess we'll find out, won't we?" he stated, sitting down at her dining table and staring up at her, "Didn't know you could cook. Always assumed you were self-sufficient though."

Sethelis looked over, as she proceeded to go and fetch some plates out of a wall-mounted cabinet near the small pantry she'd used to get the wine the night before. She carried them in her maw, carefully placing one on each side of the small wooden table. "Not many assume I can." She stated, before she added "But… One thing I am pretty bad at is picking food up from a searing hot iron, think you could be a " _strong and brave_ " dragon and serve?" looking at Miarko with what the Fire dragon only assumed was a non-threatening look she'd use to get people to do things for her.

"You're going to start pulling that look on me, aren't you?" he said sarcastically, realizing that she was starting to do that herself, "I didn't realize that you could pull off the 'I'm cute and you should do something for me look,' but here I stand, corrected."

To that, the Shadow replied rather smugly: "I'm a A-Grade spy. Remember? It's my job to be good looking, and then knowing how to exploit that to my advantage." as Miarko wandered over the hot iron and carefully picked it up and placed it on a nearby cooling cloth.

"So? How'd I do?" he asked, raising his eye ridges up and down quickly.

The Shadow dragoness rolled her eye in response, albeit her answer was approving. "Oh, my valiant hero completes his quest. So brave!" She said, looking over at him eagerly.

"Now all we are waiting to hear is what you think."

Miarko sliced off a portion of the meat and sat it down on the plate she provided. He took a few bites of the unseasoned meat and nodded his head, "Not anything that a professional chef would do, but not bad for a lonely captain who's never cooked for another person."

Sethelis nodded; "I might've not used spices this time, but that's merely because I was out. Need to go shopping… And I dread the thought already." She admitted, placing her paws on the small table, with her head in between. "Still happy you liked it though." She then stated, giving off a little smile.

That's when Miarko could've sworn he heard someone at the door. A small letter then flew under the door and landed near the table. Sethelis raised a brow, looking over.

"Hmm… Don't mind me, keep eating." She encouraged the male, getting up from her haunches and walked over to the envelope. It had no origin address or sign of any postcard. She used a claw to open the envelope and read the simple note which was inside.

Her eye widened...

Miarko looked over, wondering what the problem was, "What's up? Have another suitor besides me now?"

"That smug, sly, swashbuckling _bitch_ …" Was the only reply he got out of the dragoness, whom merely used her tail to hand him the note.

It had one short sentence which was hastily written: " _Elmira has escaped._ "

* * *

The two had barely even gotten their armors on correctly before they had hastily flown to the DOW tower.

And there was smoke billowing out the main entrance as the two touched down on the floating island, only to be greeted by a familiar face.

"Finally!" Terron's voice called out, "Where have you two been? I sent the messenger hours ago?"

"Worked overnight on the investigation," responded Miarko quickly, trying to move the conversation away from it to stop suspicions of what the two captains had actually been doing, "What happened here, Terron?"

"Walk and talk?" asked the Lieutenant.

Sethelis who was standing in between the two fanned out her wings and almost pushed the two along as she preemptively started walking. "When, how, and the damage reports. Did the fugitive kill anyone?" She asked Terron matter-of-factly, leading the two dragons along with her towards the big and formerly impressive blown-open bronze doors.

"No, but only barely. One of the prison guards was knocked unconscious by a blunt object of some kind. Had the blow been a few inches to the left, it would have shattered her skull. She's recovering in the med clinic, but no guarantee she'll wake up any time soon," responded the Lieutenant solemnly, "As for the escape itself, she somehow wandered out of her chains and was able to unlock the cell door sometime last night. Evidence points to one of our own being...seduced, somehow, and her being able to get the keys from him. She was forced to knock out the other guard on duty and made her escape a short time after that. We have no idea where she is."

Sethelis looked over at the two, her words sharp as a knife. "I want a word with the one whom happened to be a victim of her… Poisonous words." She declared, looking over at Miarko; "Think you could find him and bring him to my office?"

"Affirmative" he responded, and the Fire dragon took off, heading for the holding cells.

It didn't take long to find the guard that he was looking for. The holding cells were not huge, as the DOW didn't have the complete jurisdiction to jail individuals for any more than a few days, pending an investigation, military tribunal, or handing over to the more official law enforcement.

He was strapped into the chains of Elmira's cell, his head hanging down. Whether this was in shame or just so he could avoid the gazes of the small crowd of guards that were outside his cell, Miarko didn't care. The Fire Captain opened the door to the cell and strode in, his face barely concealing the fury that was burning inside him once again. The guard looked up at him then, his face awash with shame.

"I am eternally sorry, Captain! I didn't mean to-I… She-... I mean-... For the Mover's sake..." The guard stuttered forth, not keeping his gaze up at the captain whom was standing before him for long. He kept his head low, the chains rattling of his movement, being stuck to the wall, a chain going around hís neck like a leash to the wall, and another wrapped around his front and hind legs, effectively tying him stuck.

It went dead silent in the room, the other Guards stopping their prattling and hardly concealed mockery, they seemed to be to awaiting for the Fire Captain to open his maw.

Miarko did not respond to the guard's pleas, instead using a key that had been given to him to unshackle the guard from his place on the wall. Miarko left the cuffs on him, however, and pushed him towards the door of the cell.

"You and I need to have a chat," he finally spoke, his voice deep and uncaring, "Try to flee, and I'll put you in the ground without hesitation. Refuse my orders and I'll simply knock you out and carry you where you need to go myself. Now walk," he finished, pushing the guard further down the hallway towards the stairs that lead to the upper floors.

The guard simply nodded and continued to follow the Fire dragon's instructions. The two climbed up the stairs until finally arriving at the office of Sethelis. They opened the door to the characteristically dark room with it's dusty filing cabinets and mysterious maps of the city with dots and strings on them, the air stale and almost… Pressuring. The flickering shadows seemed alive in the dancing of a flame on the few lit candles, keeping the room lit up. Behind the old wooden desk, sorting through documents and reports was the Shadow captain, looking up at the two briefly, her one eye gleaming in the light.

"Sit. Both of you." She simply told them.

Miarko noted that the tone in her voice was assuring that none of them could miss the fact that it was not a request. It was a demand. The two sat down, with not as much as a word. The Shadow dragoness placed the papers she had been reading down on the desk surface; They were damage reports over the very recent escape from the tower, a sketch of the building itself and the route the pirate had presumed to have taken during her escape.

Sethelis sighed. "One prisoner. You had to keep your attention to _one_ prisoner for about two hours. How could you fail such a simple task?" She asked, clearly frustrated, albeit it was rather obvious she held back what she really wanted to say.

"Ma'am," came the frail voice of the guard, "I can-I can explain."

Sethelis blinked once, not looking too impressed. "Good. Go on, I need a explanation, and you better pray to whatever deity or Ancestors you may believe in that I deem it a plausible and good one." The Shadow Captain clarifies. Her yellow eye focusing entirely on the soldier's. Almost as if she'd be staring right past him.

"She...she...knows her way with men, Captain," replied the Guard, looking away from the Captain's eye bearing into his soul, "She convinced me that if I helped her, she'd give me a place in her crew, be able to go adventuring. What soldier doesn't want that? Please captain, you have to believe me!"

"So you'd rather run away with a pirate. And I repeat… A pirate! Not only deserting, but breaking the oath you swore upon joining the DOW ranks." The captain spoke, her eye narrowing dangerously. Sethelis had a frown on her face as she once more spoke up. "Not only did you actively let a highly dangerous criminal out, but admit willingness to desert your post. What platoon are you in, soldier?"

"Uh...the 12th, ma'am…" the soldier responded nervously.

Sethelis nodded upon hearing this. "Very well. I'll make sure Captain Antilles is informed, he'll better need to get his men into better form and morale if they're all like you." She mutters, scribbling something on a note rather quickly as she speaks. "Fittingly enough I'd suggest incarceration for now. Any thoughts, Miarko?" The Fire dragon felt her gaze move upon him,

"In most circumstances of treason, I'd suggest handing him over to a tribunal and letting them decide his fate, but throw him back in the cell for now, we'll deal with him later," the Fire Dragon agreed.

"But, wait! I...I…" exclaimed the Guard, who eventually trailed off and lowered his head accepting his defeat. Two guards that were standing outside the cell dragged the prisoner away and back down towards the holding cells, where he would await word of his hearings at a later date.

With that whole ordeal out of the way, Sethelis sat up from her haunches and looked over at Miarko. "So, traitor dealt with, and damages assessed as well as the entire DOW tower searched. That means we can address this latest issue I just heard about before you two entered." She slowly walked around the desk, Miarko listening to what she had to say.

"Spyro has ordered that you and I travel to the Shattered Vale. Apparently there is a Annointed cell actively disrupting peace in the area."

"All the way up there? What's the importance of that cell?" asked the Fire dragon.

He was aware of the cell already, he'd seen the reports from her scouts, but they seemed like a distant and non-present threat.

Sethelis rolled her only single eye at the Captain's light take on the situation. "Any cell of them going public is a problem. Because it means they're cocky. Which could be a lead to that they've either got the upper hand, or that they're outright stupid." She explains briefly, giving him a glance which spoke for that she didn't think it was the latter.

"They've gone public up there since your last report?" he asked, slightly confused, "I was assuming that they were still underground with their efforts and one of your moles had sniffed them out. What have they been doing up there?"

"Well, not as much public as reckless." Sethelis clarified, signaling that she could continue their debrief as they went down the dwindling staircases of the DOW tower. "They're leaving a clear trace. However I do not know yet whether it is a trap or if it is just sheer mistakes."

"And the Director wants us to spring the trap," responded Miarko, frowning, "Normally I'm the type of guy that _sets_ the traps, not the one to walk right into them." Sethelis nodded in reply, not looking too pleased with their current situation.

"Well, how do you think I feel? I spend my days making sure DOW troops avoids that kind of thing, and now I am supposed to blindly walk into one?" The Shadowy dragoness replied, her wings fluttering slightly as the two descended down the marble staircase.

Miarko groaned and shook his head, saying, "The things I do in the name of peace and security. And what of Elmira? Is he sending out another team to recapture her, or…?"

Sethelis gave a firm nod. "Yes, I even put a few of my own men at his disposal, should they be needed. That Skav will be back in her confines sooner than you can tap the ground with your tail." She replied, obviously proud of the 18th. "Now… Should we set off immediately or should we prepare?"

"Wait, are you saying that the Director expects just the two of us to take down the entire cell just on our own?" asked the Fire dragon, clearly shocked at the prospect of what he been ordered to do.

This lead to an amused chuckle coming from the Shadow dragoness. "For all your charming personality, and all your wit with that rapid tongue of yours, I expected you to not be that close minded. Of course Spyro wouldn't be dumb enough to send us to our death at the claws and paws and daggers of crazed zealots." She explained, bumping the Fire dragon's side as the two reached the bottom of the staircase.

Miarko groaned again and went down the flight of stairs again, but not before saying, "You make my life harder."

* * *

 **A/N: We're splitting this chapter in two, partially because we are slow bums that cannot get work done, but also because this chapter is a little long already. (And it gives us time to finish it!) But yeah, me and Mike will make sure to speed up in the future!**

 **Stick by us if you please, and enjoy our story! As always, reviews and feedback are always appreciated! This is Hawk & Mike signing out for now.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Call of the Ancestors**

 **Chapter 10: The Vale**

Several hours later and halfway through a long flight, Sethelis felt her wings aching slightly. Miarko and her had only stayed briefly at the tower and soon enough left to fly north. The two dragons and their unit of troops that had been given to them had flown under complete silence. The dragoness had once or twice glanced down onto the ground swooshing past below them. Forrests, plains. It only appeared to get gloomier and foggier the further north they got. As well as much colder.

She tried not to shudder too badly once they finally landed, as it was getting too dark to see up in the skies. For Miarko's eyes at least. Sethelis didn't have any problems with the darkness, but she'd much rather land than have her fellow Captain or any of their flying soldiers crash into a tall treetop.

Luckily, there was just enough light left for the Fire captain to be able to descend safely to the ground and landing carefully on all four legs, intact. Sethelis signaled back at the small force that they had brought with them, which included a few members of each platoon and Lieutenant Terron along for the ride. She descended herself and walked up to Miarko.

The Fire dragon nodded, regarding her, "The winds out of the north side were a little rougher than I would have liked. Probably set us back by at least half an hour."

The Shadow dragoness agreed, showing it by an annoyed tone of her voice. "If not only stalling, but cold. I am hating to admit that my armor is not adequate in keeping me warm, but I presume it is time to set up camp. The trees should give us enough shelter, and with some aid I'll be able to suspend a field of shadows around the camp so we won't get spotted by prying eyes." She briefly explained, before seemingly melting into the darkness surrounding them, leaving Miarko to order about their troops to establish camp, erecting tents and lighting a campfire.

Sethelis in turn focused her elemental energies, after requesting aid from fellow Shadow Dragons. This leads to a bubble of shadow slowly shutting itself around the camp, sealing it off from the rest of the world. Even the sounds of the local wildlife got slightly quieted down and muffled if it passed through.

With a sigh, Sethelis then proceeded to return back to the heart of the camp, helping wherever she was needed.

Miarko approached her, having helped set up a few of the items around the camp, and used his element to set up the campfire in the middle of it. It was larger than Sethelis expected, a testament to the Fire dragon's stamina and skill with the Fire.

"Everything's set up for the night. How are you feeling?" he asked, seemingly concerned.

The Shadow Captain looked about the camp, noticing how people was getting into their tents, and those assigned to guard was taking their posts as she spoke; "Tired, cold as The Ice King's breath and overall contempt with how good it feels to be out in the field again." she said, taking a seat upon her haunches on the ground next to the fire, glancing over to Miarko with her one eye, it's yellow iris gleaming in the light.

"You haven't done much field work before this crisis, I assume?" asked the Fire dragon, sitting down next to her, "That's been most of my career. I fought in the Civil War for a time, then was assigned to peacekeeping roles as we reconstructed the City. It's been an interesting last ten years, needless to say."

Sethelis merely listened attentively, seemingly thinking how to best explain her story. "I've done my fair share of missions, but nothing too travel-based. If anyone needed to go far beyond the city walls I tend to send a Shadow to do the work, as I take the act of the more central hub. In-city affairs, DOW matters and such." She explained, once more vague with details in her own characteristic way.

Before deciding to comment on the whole ordeal with the Civil War. "And… I knew you'd done service around that time, but didn't know you had actively fought in the conflict. Any bigger battles?" She asked.

"Oh, you haven't seen my service record then," replied Miarko, nodding, "I served during the Siege of Warfang and the Battle against the Destroyer. I was there when Spyro and Cynder saved the City by protecting the gate and that artillery battery. Served nearby them the entire time, even though I didn't fight with them directly. After that, most of the fighting force was lead through the Warfang Ruins to help fight the Destroyer, I met both of them during that trip. You could say that we became friends after Spyro...reformed the world. Partially. So I've known them for about ten years now. After the War, I was mostly relegated to peacekeeping roles. Cleaning up the remnants of Malefor's army, guarding workers and caravans from opportunistic bandits. Joined the DOW somewhere along the way. You've probably heard of the Raid of 11'. I was there, got promoted to this position after that. I've been the Captain of this 17th for two years now. That's the simplified version. Any questions?"

Sethelis looked up at the fiery male, apparently interested, judging by how her demeanor had gone from huddled together to keep warmth to nearly neglecting her whole complaint about being cold, attentively listening.

"No, not for now at least. Maybe later, though. I truly wish I could share more of my own work and past, but yeah. Rules are rules." She explained with yet another roll of her eye. The fire crackled slightly and the Shadow dragoness looked over her shoulder…. To no avail, ending up turning around entirely just to see that hers and Miarko's tent was finally up. "They finally got that done. Let's get inside and out of this blasted cold…"

The two entered their tent. Inside was rather spacious. With a set of cushions and a blanket each. The biggest central pole which was keeping the tent up had in turn a lantern lighting the place up. And indeed, it was surprisingly comfortable inside, compared to the relatively chilly outdoors.

"... So. What do you think we'll be up against once we face the enemy?" She asked, turning to her red scaled companion.

"Powerful element and magic users that know combat. These chaos loving types always seem to appreciate strength in combat. Some of them think that it's chaos expressed in its purest form, demonstrating strength. It's completely hogwash, but that doesn't mean that they're not incredibly impressiveonceit comes to breaking bones and removing limbs."

Sethelis seemed pleased with that assessment. "Yes, I can see the reasoning." She stated, as she was correcting her lay down pose, placing her darkly scaled head down against a pillow. Yawning."But as important as planning ahead is, we'll do that once we reach our base in The Vale. Now we need some sleep. Good night, Miarko."

"Good night, Seth," Miarko replied, before laying down himself on a side, his back to the still dimly lit lantern, his black wings tightly tucked against his body.

Soon enough they were both soundly asleep.

* * *

The early next morning Sethelis arose early like she always does. Well. Most of the time. She quietly made her way out of hers and Miarko's tent, the fire Captain had been snoring audibly, sleeping on his back with a open maw.

The shadow captain looked out, the shadows she had assembled around their base had disappeared some time during the night, and the other soldiers of camp slowly awoke, with an exception of the ones posted to take the morning watch a few hours earlier.

Slowly the sounds of a fire was going, followed with the sounds of clinking metal as armor was once more put back on by the traveling band, Sethelis had ordered someone to prepare a brief meal for the camp before they'd set out. Wooden bowls were handed out, along with food which was being prepared over open campfire.

And… Miarko still hadn't woken.

Sethelis poked her head in through the opening of their tent, glancing over to the Fire captain. If he'd oversleep breakfast, she'd have none of his complaints. So she decided to wake him up.

So Sethelis tried by nudging Miarko with a paw, sitting down on her haunches next to his sleeping form. "Wake up, Miarko. Go on, get up. We'll be moving out soon..." She said, a little louder than she'd usually speak, awaiting a reaction.

Miarko awoke suddenly, breathing deeply and looking around. His eyes settled on Sethelis and he quickly regained composure, his deep breathing fading into more calm gasps. He rose quickly and turned away from her.

"Sorry. Sorry. Didn't mean to worry you," he said, shaking his head.

Sethelis had leaned backwards slightly, admittedly she was almost expecting a outlash from the seemingly startled-to-wake male. "Worry? You looked like you'd wanted to tear at me with your claws for a second there." The Shadow dragoness stated, rising and taking a step back.

"If you're having nightmares, you can tell me over breakfast. We'll be heading out as soon as possible, and we cannot spare much sunlight." She then addressed, before turning around towards the tent doorway.

"Affirmative, Captain," came Miarko's voice from behind her as she walked out of the tent and back into the rising daylight.

A short time later, as she was having her breakfast, some salted meat along with what appeared to be a kind of bread with slices of fruit baked into it. Sweet, yet nutritious. She looked up from her meal, seeing a all-too-familiar face, Terron.

"Captain. Good to see you again," Terron said, sitting down with his own food, "I hope you're doing well."

Sethelis gave a little smile. Almost forced.

 _Almost._

"Same to you, Lieutenant Terron. So if my information is correct, you're native to these lands. If so, then how far do we have to travel until we reach the Vale?"

"Not too much longer," he responded, "I expected us to be able to reach it there within one day's flight but the winds that Captain Miarko reported on as we came out of the City put our timetable back by a day. Now we'll be there with another two hours I would say." These news weren't bad. But nor were they good, as Sethelis usually likes everything running on a tight schedule, and a setback like this is never a good one in her book.

"Hmm, good. If we are lucky, the winds will calm during the day so that we may reach The Vale faster than anticipated. Our informants and the garrison stationed there will need all the aid they can get. These aren't your average bandits or Skav raiders." She said, before chowing down on the last of her meat;

Glancing up at Miarko, who had finally strode out of the tent and was approaching, with her one healthy eye, she said, "So… You had some nightmare going on, Miarko?"

"Uh. Yeah. Sorry," Miarko responded, seemingly no longer bothered by it, "Don't worry about it. So, are we getting moving soon?"

"Yes, I told you when you woke up that we are moving out once everyone is ready post breakfast." Sethelis repeated, pushing a wooden bowl over to Miarko, it contained a few slices of salted meat, joined by some of that fruit-bread. Standard DOW soldier's ration.

* * *

A few hours later Miarko and the others were starting to close in on the city merely known as The Vale, hoping it's stone walls could keep the cold out. The air was much cooler than down south, and Miarko had to admit that even he was shuddering lightly. The group of soldiers and the two captains landed and decided to approach by paws the last few hundred meters. Wouldn't want the guard at the town's impressive armaments to assume they were hostiles.

The areas around the town was mostly open plain, fields. Pine forests in the distance. No one could even think about sneaking up on this town, he'd bet not even Sethelis' best.

A slight silhouette of a mountain range in the far north. If Miarko got his geography correct, that mountain range follows the coast and if one were to pass there, they'd soon fly over Dante's Freezer.

Luckily this place had never suffered the same kind of Flash Freeze.

But its inhabitants and everyone living around in the region called Shattered Vale is just as hardy and stubborn as their environment. Something that they'll need to take note of when dealing with the locals.

The big oak gates slowly opened with a loud creak. Miarko stood back with the rest of the men, letting Sethelis approach the cheetah by the gate. They held a hushed discussion that lasted for a few minutes. Miarko couldn't tell a word, but he assumed it was important, as they were seemingly allowed to pass through with no further questions and into the cobbled streets of The Vale.

The Fire Captain looked about. Cheetahs, a few dragons and moles all lived together, a bit like Warfang. Just… Less dragons. Except the inhabitants were all wearing thicker clothing, usually in darker colors and furs to keep them warm. Even the dragons of the city wore cloaks over their backs and wings to keep the cold out.

He noticed how the sky had been covered in a sheet of gray clouds, blocking out the sun's warming rays. The Fire dragon then proceeded to hurry up to walk next to Sethelis; "I'm guessing that we're about to get to meet the ones we are aiding?" He asked, and Sethelis replied with a nod. "Yes," She started. Glancing up on the big keep which was at the very center of the town. "Our informants has told me that there is an active branch of the 'Noints in this town, and we'll be helping the leading military Commander, the man seated at the fort over there…" Sethelis stated, using a paw to point at the big central military facility. A flag of Warfang flowing in the wind at the top of the keep's roof.

"... Grizzled war veteran from way back before Malefor's short three year rule. A bit...Too old-school in his methods for my taste, but I hope he will be willing to accept our aid." The Shadow dragoness muttered, before taking to a side street, leading Miarko along. To the Fire dragon's surprise, they didn't go for the big tall oak doors leading into the fort, but rather leading their small unit in through what appeared to be some form of Guard barracks.

"Why the hushed entrance?" He asked after a few minutes of silence, now making their way towards the courtyard, the grey skies looming above them as they crossed the cobblestone belaid courtyard. Miarko noted the flags of the Shattered Vale He looked over at Sethelis who rolled her eye; "The 'Noints could have eyes anywhere. At least we try to be discreet as to not arouse suspicion."

And so they waited.

Them and their group of "reinforcements". The wind howled lightly, as the dragons awaited the commander to make their appearance.

This is the reason to why formality sometimes are a waste of time, in Miarko's opinion. They could have been inside the warm keep, having a proper meal rather than standing and freezing their scaly behinds off in the cold. In fact, the fire dragon was surprised it hadn't started snowing yet.

And so, after a few very long minutes, the reinforced doors of the fort's Citadel opened, letting the DOW soldiers into the very heart of the city itself.

The Citadel was impressive, sitting in the heart of the city. Which in turn was resting on one lone hill surrounded by some flatland. The Vale wasn't a huge settlement, not like the Dragon City was, but it boasted a large enough population to serve as an important trading post and military fortress that it had finally caught the eye of Warfang's government after the end of the war. The delegation had been engaged in diplomacy to the city for the first five years afterwards, and then annexation negotiations after that. The Vale's small governing body had been resistant to Warfang's attempts at obtaining the territory for quite some time, but the dangers of the post-Malefor world had scared them enough into accepting Warfang's rule and protection. The annexation had just recently been finalized and put into effect, the Vale finally, completely, falling under the Guardians' banner.

The city was mostly built out of locally mined dark stone, as anything lighter like wood would not be able to stand the cool and windy climate that was native to these areas south of the mountain range. It looked cold, dark grays and whites blanketed the city, a dull color palette as Miarko had seen.

The small contingent of DOW soldiers approached the steps leading up to the gate of the main building of the fortress itself, the Vale's Citadel. The soldiers here were relaxed, clearly not expecting any combat for the foreseeable future, despite the arrival of the DOW's contingent.

The soldiers stepped inside, one by one. Once inside of the great keep, the dragons could feel a wave of heat from a torchlit room with at least four big bronze braziers, each resting in one of four corners, housing a sparking lively flame to keep the inside of the fort warm. Something Miarko, as a dragon of Fire, appreciated greatly.

The two captains were told by a low ranking officer that their troops were to be escorted to their quarters within the castle as the Commandant wished to speak with them and them alone.

They saw the Commandant, a older dragon with scales colored as dull a gray as the skies above his city, two great stag-like horns resting upon his head. He wore a black cloak like most draconic Valians, with the exception of a few medals decorating it by the hem of the neck, adding color to his otherwise dark color palette. He was standing at a longtable on the opposite side of the hall, surrounded by what looked like advisors and several other senior officers. Miarko and Sethelis started the short walk through the long hall. The walls were decorated with frescoes depicting every siege the military-minded city had endured during the years prior to and following the Dark Master's defeat. Battle, combat, was very clearly important to the Valians.

The elderly dragon looked up from a map of the town itself, which was resting upon the table he was standing by.

Seeing the two DOW Captains approach, he gruffly uttered a "Dismissed." in a gravelly voice to his peers. The other officers and advisors slowly dispersed, leaving the three dragons alone in the long hall.

Miarko regarded the aging Commandant, the _de facto_ leader of the settlement. The Commandant spoke then,"So, the Defenders of Warfang arrive at the Veil, here to deal with any issues you may have found. Welcome to the Vale, Captains."

Sethelis gave a nod. Showing what respect she could muster, from how Miarko was seeing it, "Yes, we have gotten news of something bad stirring within your walls, Commandant." She told him, her voice echoing through the room.

The Commandant raised a scaly ridge upon hearing this, his stern facial expression not changing. His silvery scales gleamed in the light of the braziers fires that danced over the walls. "Is that so?" He replied, looking over to Miarko as if expecting an answer to come from the Fire Captain.

"Indeed, Commandant," replied the Fire Captain, stepping forward slightly, approaching the long table that separated the three of them. As he did, Sethelis sat down upon her haunches.

"Then what kind of trouble may that be? I won't be able to get to the root of the problem if I am held in the dark." the elder then asked, his gravelly voice gaining a slightly concerned tone.

"Have you been briefed on the... _Congeria Situation_ ," responded Miarko, searching for the formal term that had been decided upon by the DOW leadership, "that's currently engulfing our fair Capital, Commandant?"

The Commandant's eyes widened slightly upon hearing the name of the Ancestor, "Her ilk, here? In my city?" He growled, his tone raised ever so slightly. The elderly dragon snorted slightly as he continued, "I have a hard time believing such, there have been no signs of a cult here. The occasional civil unrest maybe, but…"

That was when the sole dragoness in the room interrupted, "I am sorry to interrupt, but what kind of unrest, Commandant? This is important."

The Commandant studied the map, raising a paw and gestured in a sweeping motion across a few buildings whom were marked on the map. "Several break-ins. A mysterious disappearance as well as someone attempting a break-in at the armory. They didn't get away with anything this time..."

Miarko glanced over to Sethelis once they had received this information, He then watched as Sethelis spoke up, tilting her head in a inquiring manner. "So, did you capture this thief? And do you assume he or she was guilty of all the different crimes? Any clues besides the fact that you caught them…?"

The commandant seemingly thought on something before replying, furrowing ridges as he spoke; "We only managed to get out of her that she wasn't operating alone. Something you confirmed with your claims of Congeria's agents."

Miarko then asked the Commandant, "Was she bearing any significant markings or tattoos?" getting the elder's attention. The caped dragon behind the longtable put his right front paw on his chin, murmuring something before speaking up.

"Yes, she bore a strange mark on her wrist, a circle at the center of eight arrows pointing in different directions. You suspect it to be-"

"Congeria's mark." The Shadow Captain chimed in, nodding affirmingly before rising up and walking over, rounding the table and standing next to the entitled older dragon. "So where do you suspect we should start looking? Any potential hideouts marked? I could hear with my contacts otherwise..."

* * *

A few hours later, Sethelis was hurrying down a cobbled street, a few minutes away from the keep. She and Miarko had gotten some useful information from the Commandant, individuals they assumed to be Anointed Ones had been targeting key people and locations. They suspected that the 'Noints were planning on taking the town from within.

She had taken her trademark armor off, and purchased herself one of those dragon-designed capes as to blend in more with the local populace filling the streets.

' _This place is so different from Warfang. The scents, the tone… Atmosphere and even people. At least this cape keeps me warm compared to my armor.'_ She thought to herself, turning off from the main street which she had followed from the castle courtyard. Sethelis was going to see her contacts after all, and sadly she didn't even trust to take Miarko with her. The fewer who knew of the location the better.

Once she had walked into a shady and slightly isolated winding side alley Sethelis counted the doors she passed. Three from the main street and then turn right. Knock five times and then wait.

Once by the iron door, which had a tiny hatch in it as to let whoever was inside peek out at whoever was outside, she raised her paw and knocked lightly.

There was silence for at least two minutes before she could hear steps on the other side. Light and swift, whoever was behind the dark pine door must either be rather small or have claws. The hatch opened, and a piercing blue eye peered out and down upon the Shadow dragoness.

Without a word the door opened outwards, forcing Sethelis to take a few steps backwards, and there stood a Mole on a tall stool. "Good." He simply stated, before jumping off the tall ordinance and pushed it to the side: "In, quick."

Seth wasn't late to follow as she made her way inside, the door shut audibly behind her. It was a small room with a low roof, forcing the dragoness to slightly lower her neck as to not bump her head into the ceiling. The sparsely furnished room was housing little more than a iron chandelier hanging from the roof, it's fickle candle flames lighting up a table with a few items resting on it's smooth wooden surface, a few chairs and nothing more. The Shadows residing here probably lived on the second floor.

Sethelis turned her one eye upon the mole, who was clad like any common Valian, thick fabrics and furs. He peered back at her with his blue eyes; "So Captain, you wanted information on the cell we detected here. And everything we've got is on that table." He explained, before he waddled over and climbed up upon one of the four chairs around the table.

The items on the table were a letter, it's wax seal being broken indicating that someone had read the contents, a stick of dynamite as well as a empty locket bearing Congeria's symbol. The shadow dragoness studied each of the items as her mole comrade began speaking in his shrill piping voice.

"As you can see, at least one of these items are directly related to Congeria," He started, pointing at the locket, "... It was found around the neck of the individual who was caught trying to break into the armory. And they just so happened to be a member of the town military force. Those news were toned down of course, poor sod was fully under _Her_ influence."

This raised suspicions in Sethelis' mind. Why hadn't the Commandant pointed that out when he knew they were there to help him? And why did he act as if he'd not known that Congeria had people within his walls? Those questions were to be answered soon, she hoped. The Captain of the 18th then looked upon the stick of dynamite. And her informant explained: "This is one of few explosive pieces they had left. I'll make sure to return it once we're done investigating. It appears as well that this was only the latest in a series of many thefts in the armory, as pieces of armor, weaponry and even barrels filled with gems for the draconic soldiers went missing over time. This was the only time anyone left any kinds of trace."

Sethelis nodded. Thoughts and theories running through her head. So many possibilities and so many indications. _None_ of them good…

"This is bad… I pray that you guys have prepared a escape for civilians in case a Ancestors be damned battle occurs?"

The mole saluted and started with a firm tone; "Aye, Captain. We'd have the town empty within 40 minutes or less, if there is no complications." He stated, obviously taking pride in his work. Sethelis expected as much, giving of a small smile. Rather a indication of one. She felt a rush of pride almost, seeing her agents out in the field like this...

But she had no time to stroke her ego, as she turned to the letter, pointing at it with her tail. "And this…?" She asked, her mole companion reaching over and opening the envelope, handing her the letter which laid inside. And Seth had to admit, she can write and read coded messages, but this is incomprehensible mumbo-jumbo to her eye. Her ridge furrows slightly as she mutters; "Is this supposed to be words…?"

And indeed, the letters were scrambled all over the document, some were mirrored or even upside down, yet they were signed by two names. One being "Silas", which essentially was the draconian John Doe, and the other simply being Silas with scrambled letters.

"You guys been trying to piece it together?" She asked, looking over at the mole who replied, pointing at himself with his thumb. "I am our cryptologist, and well.. I think I am about to crack it. Maybe. Give me another 6 hours, estimated…?" His beaming self esteem seemingly slowly dropping as he goes back to mumbling something in thought.

Sethelis cleared her throat as to once more get the Mole's attention, before asking "Is there anything else?" The Shadow shook his head vigorously before retrieving the letter from his Captain; "I will notify you or Miarko when I've deciphered this. The problem with The Anointed Ones is that each time their means of communication alters the codes or techniques. Sometimes it is not even code…" He complains, The Captain turning and walking back out the door onto the cold streets, leaving him to his work…

* * *

Sethelis had told Miarko she'd go see her "contacts". This made Miarko ask himself the question whether that dragoness had units like this in every city controlled by Warfang and under DOW jurisdiction. Or if they even operate out on foreign soil. She might just hold more power than he'd dare suggest.

His pondering however was cut short, as the Fire Captain was alerted by a familiar voice walking over.

"So, what do you think of my hometown, Captain?" Lieutenant Terron asked, sitting down opposed to the younger red dragon. "I sure hope we can rid it of Congeria's agents soon, I still have family ties to this place, and after having seen how they just seem to make people… Disappear is just unsettling." The Earth Lieutenant admitted, his wings twitching slightly in that way they do when the dragon is nervous.

Miarko didn't want his men to be unable to remain focused on the mission at hand due to fear of the enemy, as he remembered his training from back at the Academy telling him that keeping a leveled head is usually key between life and death. "Don't worry, Lieutenant. We will be heading home with The Vale safe again in less than a few days, I bet." The Captain of the 18th reassured, looking about in the keep mess hall, in which they were sat. As he glanced quickly over the big collection of seats and tables he couldn't let it go unnoted how there were more guards than what he'd assume to be normal.

And most were heavily armed too. A bit unusual, but he paid it no mind ever since they alerted the Commandant of the reasons behind his populace suddenly turning relatively _unruly_.

"But, what do you say Terron? Let's go find Sethelis and get this over with. I bet she probably has the cell here figured out already." Miarko suggested, to which Terron nodded, the two once more stood up, turning to walk to the closest of four exits. That's when the doors shut. One by one.

Voices got raised into a confused murmur coming from the DOW soldiers. The fire Captain called up for quiet; "Quiet! Commandant? What is the meaning of this!?" He exclaimed, turning and looking upwards towards the second level, overlooking the dining hall itself. That's when he noticed the crossbows and guns being pointed down towards them.

The voice of the Commandant rose over the sudden silence, cutting through the air like a dragon's claw. Miarko couldn't see the elderly dragon anywhere. He assumed that he had hid somewhere on the upper level.

"Your meddling in our affairs has been a particular thorn in our side, Miarko. And Congeria wishes to reward you and Sethelis for your progress. But I am sad to say, Captains, your men and you are hereby relieved from your duties."

Miarko thought fast, calling out. "Duck!" before he dove down under a nearby table, taking Terron with him to avoid the first stream of projectiles.

The low thumping of arrows and bullets hitting the wood above them made Miarko simply press his wings harder against his back, the screams and groans of DOW soldiers as they either died or engaged combat with the guards on duty at their level echoed through the hall as the sounds of battle started. Miarko wasn't going to just idly hide whilst his soldiers were killed off. He rose, using his powerful wing muscles to send the table off of its legs and tumbling over to the side. He struck a combat pose and blasted some flames in the directions of a assailant.

He needed to get himself and his soldiers out of this mess, and fast. The Captain dashed past some fighting Defenders, making sure that Terron was following tightly behind. It wasn't far to the closest door, but...they had blocked it from the other side.

Miarko knew that they'd need something a bit stronger than a wooden door to keep a Fire dragon locked up, however. After taking a deep breath, he let a hot stream of flame scorch and burn the wood barring his way, before pouncing with his full weight against it, sending pieces of wood and cinders flying.

"This way!" he roared over his shoulder. Getting the attention of the few DOW whom had survived the initial attack. He heard the voice of the Commandant over the sounds of battle;

"Hunt them down. None of the DOW shall leave this keep alive!"

* * *

 **AN: Sorry about the delay on this one! Time zones suck. Hawk and I tend to write on Sundays alone, but we've had trouble lining up our schedules.**

 **As always, we appreciate any and all feedback! Reviews are always read and responded to when we can get to them.**

 **See you next time!**

 **-Mike & Hawk**


	11. Chapter 11

**Call of the Ancestors**

 **Chapter 11: The Battle of the Vale**

It was as quiet outside as Sethelis had expected. No birds in the skies, and few people out and about, paying no mind to the Shadow dragoness as she made her way back to the keep. Once she reached the door to the side entrance confusion struck her, as it was now guarded by two soldiers of the keep. Their spears blocking the doorway.

Seth moved her hood down to reveal her visage, and about to ask why they were stationed here, when they both in one swift movement pointed the sharp ends of their weapons towards her. "Captain Sethelis of the Defenders of Warfang, You are hereby under arrest for treason towards the governing council and the citizens of the Vale." One of them called out.

This caused Sethelis to furrow her ridges even deeper. "What is the meaning of…" She started, before it struck her clear as the day.

She needs to get into the keep and find the others. _Warn them._

But just as she was about to neutralize the two guards, the clanking of metal boots, and rasping of claws against stone became hearable. She looked around in the alley. And she is now trapped between two sharp spears and some tough looking soldiers. She narrowed her eye. Good.

It was a long time since she'd last fought. And she'd hate to get rusty. Luckily for her, everything casts a shadow, hence arming the cornered dragoness. With a smug wink of her lone eye, she felt the shadows bend the light around her, turning her invisible. That is when something worrying happened, just as she was about to take off, she saw how they all gained the one and the same facial expression. Irritancy. "You cannot hide forever, mortal." One guard spoke, another following up as if they were thinking exactly the same;

"I will find you." Sethelis' eye widened. An Ancestor was talking to her. Her! Sethelis did not take herself for the spiritual type, she leaves that to Miarko and his Mover, but this was both shocking and completely out of nowhere. And admittedly it made her feel… Terrified.

"And you will be mine, a mere drone under the might of my power…" One of the spear guards ends, taking a jab at the place where Sethelis had stood. Luckily the dragoness snapped out of her almost trance-like state by flapping her wings as hard as she could, taking off to the skies. Only narrowly dodging the metal tip which struck the ground with a twang-like sound.

Her heart was racing.

The usually calm and collected dragoness took a deep breath, trying to get her pulse back in order.

Only now she had fully realized the… _Extent_ of what they were fighting.

She needed to find the others. One final deep breath before she had to get it together. The shadows surrounding her body let go, as the dragoness wouldn't want to lay too much of her energy to stay cloaked, despite the fact that she was being hounded by the enemy, with a literal hive mind after her.

She looked over to the keep, needed to find a opening, it would be stupid to crash in through a window.

Sethelis stopped beating her wings, trampling air before glide flying her way up to the keep.

No way she'd be able to get in through a closed window, the panes were clearly reinforced. The dragoness, having to think quickly, looked about to make sure that she was not spotted. The sounds of battle could be heard through the glass, only pressing her on exactly how urgent the situation was.

There were no cracks she could slip through…That was all Sethelis had time to note before she had to dive, spotting a pair of dragons bearing the coat of arms local to the region. The dragoness prepared for a hard landing. Having no time to straighten out, she merely spread her wings as to slow her descent, landing, or rather crashing, in a cart of hay.

Surprised over having not broken a single bone, Sethelis started to device her plan on how to get herself inside…

* * *

Meanwhile, the situation for Miarko was deteriorating quickly.

Terron and the Fire Captain lay entrenched behind a overturned table, crossbow bolts still flying and thudding around them. The screams of dying soldiers, the clashing of blades and the zaps and whirring of elemental attacks came from all around the duo.

Looking over at Terron, Miarko nodded quickly, the two knowing what they had to do. The duo dove out from the table, both launching an elemental shot near the balcony of which the crossbowers had taken up their positions. Two of the Valians, not expect the quick attacks, were sent back flying against the wall behind them, knocking them both out. This in turn caused one of their crossbows to fire a stray bolt, which got sent whirring through the air, only to plant itself into the wooden door known as the DOW soldiers' only escape out of the room. With the enemy range combatants focusing on them out of the way, Miarko could take the chance to rear up on his hind legs, placing his front ones onto the table, take a deep breath and in a impressive display as to _why_ the DOW forces are an ally worth having and why nobody, not even a Ancestor should consider standing up against them. Letting out a ball of flame, which was sent directly towards the remaining part of the balcony opposed to the two. And in a glorious explosion, quickly followed by a fiery blaze the structure was reduced to burning planks and cinder. As Miarko had caused quite the disorganisation amongst the hostiles up on the second floor, the ones down on the ground remained. But they stood no match for the remaining DOW with less than half of their fire support still operating.

As this all was going on, Terron had tried to focus his Earth powers to blast the door open. Hitting the door with a crushing green blast of energy, the wood cracking and splintering, but the door stood tall.

Miarko looked back at Terron, calling over. "How is that exit coming along?!" Before searing some enemies who were foolish enough to charge at a Fire dragon. Something they soon came to regret, as a cloud of flames met them as soon as they got close enough to the makeshift table-barricade Miarko had put up.

Luckily the few remaining DOW had managed to make their way over to the two, some carrying wounded and others bearing rather grizzly wounds themselves. And after seconds that felt like an eternity the door blew off its hinges, letting the fleeing troops escape. "We're not done with you, _Commandant_ , if I should even call you that anymore!" Miarko spat out, before turning and joining his men in a search for an exit. Surprisingly they found no form of real resistance within the winding corridors, other than the odd soldier, most of which seemingly got snapped up by Congeria's presence to-and-fro, going from surprised to lunging at the soldiers like madmen. It seemed like the Commandant had placed most of his men to wipe out all of the DOW in one swift blow, something he now had failed, leaving his targets a chance of escape. They ran further and further. Seeking for the nearest exit. Which would probably be some kind of postern.

As they made their way down a staircase, having had to let one of their Electricity comrades shock a few heavily armored Valians in the process, the stairwell being filled with the smoke and stench of burnt flesh, since the poor sods had been cooked alive inside their protective suits of armor

Miarko looked over to Terron quickly. "Remember any other ways out of here other than the main gate? Taking that path would be suicide." To which Terron thought for a bit, speaking up as the group reached the bottom of the staircase. They had lost 3 more good men since the escape from the Dining hall. And Miarko could tell morale wasn't the best. If his memory didn't fail him they'd just need to make a spurt across the courtyard and they'd have a shot at freedom. So they'd need to get out of the keep, and all the windows were…

That's when Miarko got an idea. "Halt!" He called out, him and his soldiers stopping before a window. "These things are reinforced from outside assault, but not from the inside. All we need is one well placed Elemental blow and we can get ourselves out of here, glide down onto the courtyard and then bolt for the side exit. When I reach three, everyone prepare your strongest possible attack, those of us that possesses strong wings will need to carry our wounded… 3..." As Miarko counted down, he prepared a burning ball of flame within his lower throat. Focusing his mind as to not let the flames pour out when he spoke.

"... 2…" He continued, seeing how his soldiers did as he commanded. Charging.

"... 1…"

And in a flash of magic, the window shattered, pieces of the stonework in the walls flew blasted away, and so did the metal grating that was covering it from the front.

"Go, go, go!" The Fire Captain called out, leading into a steep dive down along the castle wall. Before spreading his wings, gliding along the ground before reaching down with his legs and sprinting, reaching the door and opening it by charging through, only to find Sethelis shaking a dead Valian Mole in her maw, dropping the corpse upon seeing the rest of the troops.

And Miarko admittedly felt a world of relief wash over him when she said "I have a safe way out of the Vale."

* * *

Sethelis had given up the attempts to try and open up the window. Especially since Congeria insisted on sending troops looking for her. So Sethelis had to duck, dive, hide and dogfe her way across the alleys and ways. Hoping that her contacts within The Vale had some kind of escape reaching the door in the shadowy back alley, Sethelis didn't bother to knock, but rather turn into shadows and slither under the door itself.

And correct, in the room with the table, she spotted now that in the corner there was a hatch, which had been hidden under a moth eaten rug. It was left closed, but Sethelis knew very well that she'd be able to open it.

However she prayed, ironically enough, to the Ancestors that Miarko had managed to evade capture.

"I suppose I have to make my way back to the keep…" She sighed to herself, getting a move on. And after a small Deja Vu of making her way across the town, avoiding troops, she reached the back entrance. The one problem is that she'd need to keep it clear for Miarko and the others if they were to escape. She knew that flirtatious Fire Captain, he wasn't dumb. So walking out the main gate is not what he'd do. No, he'd take this door. The best possible and viable option. Now the problem was just holding it. Because if she were to wait here and dispatch enemy troops as they come, she'd eventually get swarmed. " _Why'd she have to be a hive-mind…?"_ The dragoness groaned inwardly. And her distress turned into a actual groan of disappointment; "Damnation…" As she saw a small group of guards charging at her. Sethelis then began by taking a combat stance, huffing out a cloud of black smoke, shadowfire. However it's choking effects didn't seem to apply to Congeria's drones, whom tanked through it. Yet…. She was unable to see, So Sethelis yet had the advantage. The black dragoness pounced up against a wall, only to gain momentum and launch herself into one of the Guards. A smaller bright cyan dragon, who's formelry pristine blue scales got stained red as Sethelis dug her fangs into his neck, ripping it open.

She had the taste of blood in her mouth, and a foul chunk of flesh which she was quick to spit out in disgust. She always preferred elemental or claw-based attacks against dragons. Felt almost like cannibalism otherwise.

This outlash had made a noise, and the dragoness saw a sword dropping towards her,making her dodge back as the second of three guards came swinging at her. Cheetah, they are fast and agile. Cannot take much in form of punishment usually.

" _Aim for the legs._ " She thought to herself, her combat-set mind moving at a speed as if almost making everything else feel sluggish and slow. This is her element, the combat in the dark.

Especially when fighting one-on-one in this fashion. She dove down onto the ground, pressed her wings against her own back as the sword came at her again, but she bit down with a audible crunch, causing bone to break and sinew to snap, the Cheetah dropping onto the ground. Sethelis quickly placed a paw on top of the sword which he had been using, as the dragoness placed a claw onto his neck, and drew blood.

One left.

Or… Five. She realized she'd need to expand her shadows, and just as she was about to huff out a second cloud, she felt a piercing pain in her side. A spear had found a sma spacing in her armor, scratching her and causing Sethelis to bleed. She groaned in pain before swatting the spear away with her wing, noticing how they grew more and more numerous. So the Shadow dragoness felt like she needed space. So what she did was manipulating her shadows to move ever outwards, causing a sort of pushing effect, causing Congeria's drones to fall onto each other, break things as well as accidentally hurt each other.

She fought for what felt like far too long. But took them down, one by one. Getting a few new nasty scars and wounds here and there. Panting for breath, feeling woozy, the dragoness walked up against the final enemy. A mole clutching a dynamite stick as a last resort. He brought up a match; "Well done. But now the game is _over_."

Congeria said, as she brought it closer to light it's fuse. But not before Sethelis chomped down on the little rodent, shaking his body back and forth in a sheer rush of adrenaline. That is when the door behind her burst open, and her heart sped up upon the sight of Miarko and their soldiers. She could only muster one sentence, one she had waited to say ever since the last time they saw each other.

" _I have a safe way out of the Vale."_

She had wanted to say those words for the last couple of minutes more than she'd want anything else. And now once she had, the Captain of the 18th lead the men and women of the DOW who were left along the streets, sneaking alongside Miarko, she whispered; "What in the names of the Anc-..." She refrained from mentioning them for now, especially since one was hellbent on killing them.

"What happened in there? How heavy casualties?" she asked.

Miarko shook his head in disgust, "We lost almost everyone. Just a handful of us left."

This caused the dragoness to swear, "Curses! How? Has Congeria really taken the entire military force just like that?" She muttered, feelt how her heart sank as she turned a sharp left, making sure that her armor doesn't make any metallic rattling.  
"Once we're out of the city, using the getaway I secured, we'll need to wander through the wilderness. Without tents or rations, it'll be one hell of a walk." She told the fiery drake next to her. Forcing a little smile despite their grim position. And near impossible odds at that.

"What have you arranged, then?" asked the Fire dragon, his eyes picking up.

"A tunnel leading out of the city, and in the lack of bare necessities... " She had a pause before speaking up.  
"I am not a fan of committing B&E, but it was deemed necessary. So I have aquired food to keep at least four of us going for… Five days if we ration it heavily." The shadow dragoness replied, pushing the door to the Shadow hideout, leading the DOW inside. "Everyone, hurry. There should be some healing gems hidden around here somewhere to fix your wounds. We will lay low here for 40 minutes tops, and then we move out." She instructed, looking over at Miarko.

"I'll need a brief of what the everloving fuck happened in that keep." She said as she closed the door behind them, locking it with as many ways as she could, even going as far as to place a chair against the handle. Crude but efficient.

Miarko shook his head as he nursed a slight scratch that was on one of his forelegs, "It all happened so fast…" he said, taking the next few moments to explain what had happened to the rest of the unit.

Sethelis drew a sharp breath. Clearly not happy with how things were going. "Miarko, I…" She started, before having to quickly break mid-sentence as she brought a few red gems out of a large open sack of the stuff that the DOW had found. Half full, that is.

Miarko shook his head, putting up a paw, "Please. I don't want to hear it. I lost everything in that room. My friends, my allies, nearly my entire unit was killed in that hall," he shook his head as he finished his statement, clearly emotional.

Seth knew how he felt. Despite being in a branch that lost far less agents in the field than Miarko probably had to endure, it always hurt to sign those papers declaring a individual deceased or MIA.

"That does not matter right now, what matters is that you got a few of them out alive." Sethelis replied, her thoughts trying to gather themselves, the dragoness not noticing how the few of the DOW still remaining, Terron amongst them, had stopped nursing and looked over at their two Captains.

"There can't be any more than a dozen of us left. Regardless of the fatalities, how are we going to get the rest of us out when we have such small numbers? If we get discovered during our escape, we'll be hunted down to the last man," responded the Fire Captain, shaking his head again.

"Miarko, listen to me. We are the Defenders of Warfang. And if there is anything I know that we are capable of, is that we can adapt to any situation, any odds. And overcome them." She started, turning around and using her wing in a swooping motion as to point at every male and female in the room. "Look at these dragons. They all rely on yours and my own leadership to get out of this mess alive. There is a old saying…" She continued, before turning back to Miarko, letting a red gem heal that scratch on his foreleg. "... Live to fight harder another day, or die trying to make a difference."

Miarko looked up at the Shadow Captain then, his eyes regarding her seriously, "Alright. Let's do it, Seth." Sethelis gave a nod, turning and walking over to the hatch in the floor, studying it closely.

"Everyone, ready up to head out, either that or we move without you." She said, sticking a claw into the lock itself, fiddling around for a few minutes. Silence besides armor making metallic sounds and the locks tumblers clicking and whirring. And after some more time, the lock clicks open, and she uses some well-woven shadows to push the hatch open from beneath. "Come on now, get off of your scaly behinds, or Congeria will come-a-knocking." She called, slithering down into the underground tunnel, running under the streets.

It was crammed, small and little more than a crawl space, even for more sleek dragons like Sethelis. She pressed her wings hard against her back, her element allowing her to see in the dark. She crawled forth, letting the others come in after her. They could sometimes even hear people passing over them.

"Any of you Fire dragons think you could light a flame or something?" A nervous sounding Electricity dragon called out from somewhere in the middle; "It is so dark that I can barely see the end of the tail which is right in front of my snout."

To which she could hear Miarko from far back: "If I did, you'd all be torched. Small flames were never my thing." Somehow telling his voice out from the huffing and groaning from the soldiers as well as their armors scraping against the dirt and rocks. And the other fire dragon of the group, a dragoness of normally few words, having said near to no words at all during the entire trip to the Vale, fills in with a "Just keep crawling. A flame would eat up all the oxygen we have in these blasted tunnels. Captain! How far?"

Sethelis moved further ahead, squeezing herself past a specifically tight mound of dirt coming out of the wall; "Nnngh!... Ah… Around twenty minutes of more crawling. Do not stop, and that's a damn order." She said, using her claws to pull herself forth, before continuing on. She hasn't done much field work ever since she got her desk-job. Except the odd mission here and there requiring her personal involvement. The dragoness groaned to herself; "If the recruits saw me now…" to herself.

"Oh, they'd love you even more than they already do," came Miarko's voice from behind her. He apparently had her muttering under her breath…

"You suggest they actually _like_ me? Hah!" Came the dragoness' reply, the soldiers seemingly not minding some friendly banter, sort of like a relief from the… Tense situation they are in. "If anything they'd get a good laugh out of it." She continued. "I mean.. Any of you lot trained under either of us during your start in the DOW?" She asked, using her shadows to try and brush loose dirt out of the dragons' path.

Terron's voice came from somewhere behind the pair, "Aye, I trained under Captain Miarko for a year."

This earned a reply from the Electricity dragon from earlier. "Same. 17th for life, however long that's been now, I don't even know." Followed by a nervous chuckle.

As much as Sethelis enjoyed this talking and crawling, one far more preferred than the other, all good or bad things comes to end. And this did in turn come as the open sky. Through what appeared to be very thick bushes.

Sethelis could slip through, if she'd use her shadows. But there weren't enough of them for her to properly do so. Instead, she craned her head to look back at Miarko; "Captain, think you could… Somehow crawl past me and blast our way out? The fresh air is lovely and all, but best experienced from the outside." She offered, pressing herself against the wall as best she could.

This'd be… Interesting to say the least. If not painful.

"Are there enough shadows in this...tunnel to have you get out of the way? I don't want to blast you," Miarko responded, clearly worried at the prospect.

"No, sadly. I can turn myself into a mist if I had enough, but I don't. So… Please don't burn me too badly. Or crawl up next to me, it is _nice_ and _comfy_ over here." She said, her words heavy with irony.

Miarko rose an eye ridge, whispering to her, "Flirting? Now?" Which earned a sigh from the dragoness in reply.

Smiling, the Fire dragon shook his head and carefully bent his body to a position that could be used to pass by Sethelis. After a few moments of struggling, grunting and two bodies brushing up against each other, Miarko was able to fit his head to the side of the Shadow Captain's body.

He looked at her, within a few inches of her snout and said, "Ready?"

Sethelis grinned and nodded, "Let's roll."

Nodding, Miarko ignited the gas in his throat and let a large fireball rip from his maw, sending it screaming towards the thick shrubbery. The flash was so great, Sethelis was forced to shield her eye. Opening it back up, the the bright light of daylight greeted her from the end of the tunnel. Remnants of the bushes still lied on fire in several places, but the majority of the tunnel had been cleared by the fireball's intense strength.

Sethelis looked over at Miarko, nodding, "You're real good at that, Miarko."

Miarko grinned, bowing his head lightly, "I try my best."

Sethelis rolled her eye, twisting her body around the Fire dragon again and kept crawling out from the tunnel. After a few moments, she emerged into the open daylight. Drawing fresh air into her nose for the first time in what felt like forever. But her moment of relaxation and relief over being able to stretch her wings out again, their joints cracking slightly, was brief. They needed to move.

"We have about a day or two in advance, I'd say." She started, looking back towards Miarko and the others.

"Just like that? You really don't think they'll find us out here?" asked Miarko, emerging from the undergrowth himself.

"That is if I am optimistic. And you know me, I'm hardly that type." Sethelis admitted in return, before walking over and offering a helping paw to drag out their supplies, which poor Terron had pushed in front of himself this entire time.

This included a map of Warfang's territories. The dragoness nabbed this item, sitting down on her haunches. "Miarko, come over here." She requested, planning a route in her head as she put it onto the ground, using four small rocks to keep it in place.

"This will probably be the longest march any of us will ever experience." She muttered, her ridges furrowed deeply, causing her to need to correct her eyepatch. "I sincerely hope all of us can walk properly, because you all should be after that gem-stop we did back at the hideout. We're moving out in five." She said, before lowering her voice and glancing over at the Fire dragon, whom had joined her by the map. "I don't think we can fly. At all." She explained, with a heavy sigh. This was going to be hard. One of the hardest things they'd ever have to do.

"Mere thought of it makes me kind of want to go back to my desk, to be honest. And believe me, I'd never think I'd ever hear myself say that. How about you, Miarko?" She admitted, feeling the need to simply not worry about other things and.. .Stay positive. If she even could muster that.

"I don't even want to think about my paperwork right now," he sighed, trying to lighten the mood, 'Let's get going."

And with a nod, Sethelis picked the map up, put it back into it's field casing, and hung the scroll around her neck. "Let's go!" She called, before taking the lead.

* * *

A few hours later, after walking south...time felt like it hadn't move at all.

Miarko sighed and looked above him. The more they walked, the more he wished he could take up and soar into the sky. But Seth was right. They couldn't risk getting discovered by any aerial patrols that they the Corrupted Valians might be sending at them.

So, they marched.

And march they did, over hills and into deep valleys, ever going on and on in the same direction, except for when they had to take a detour to avoid what they thought to be potential Anointed Ones, wild beasts or natural obstacles.

The dragons of the DOW kept on walking, marching and wandering with few to no stops unless necessary. Which, despite its necessity seemed to gnaw on the morale of the troops and their Captains.

Even Terron, who normally didn't complain much about things such as physical exercise seemed more gruff and irritable than usual. It pained Miarko that he knew that with a few flaps of his wings, he'd been able to travel several hours of wandering within mere minutes.

He pointed this out to Sethelis as the two walked along, And The Shadow Captain retorted with "It is times like these when I can't understand how Shadow #2 just rolls with it." Earning a questioning look from Miarko, who assumed it to be one of her mysterious "agents".

He noted how the dragoness sighed to herself, before replying: "A colleague. And since you know that she can't fly, I might as well tell you that she is a Cheetah. Far too relaxed for what protocol allows, but one of my best. There is yet to be a building she cannot get into."

Miarko could sense a bit of pride coming from his night-blue companion, but decided not to question it further, he knew she'd only be cryptic about it anyways.

So he kept quiet about his further questions, simply saving energy to walk.

The two stopped, as they needed to look at their map, turning East shortly, leading their little company further on through the wilderness, which had taken form as a meadow with grass that had seemingly never been cut, standing tall over the heads of the dragons. Even such tall ones like the Fire dragon whom had been snarky in the tunnel-crawl. And she towered over even Terron.

The sun was setting on their first day of wandering. The dragons had made their way to a relatively defendable clearing.

And Miarko sighed in relief, sitting down on his haunches to rest his poor hind legs when he heard Sethelis as she called out to their tired soldiers; "Good job, all of you. We've made a great distance today, considering our odds. We've all made ourselves deserving of a rest, enjoy your rations as I'll take first night watch."

The fire captain then proceeded to help his comrades in setting up a small campfire, just enough flame to keep them warm and it sustainable over the course of the night. He then proceeded in aiding the dragons that had been handed the task to erect the two tents they had managed to bring. It'd be cramped to say the least, squeezing several fully armored dragons into a tent, and then have them all rest comfortably would be nigh impossible. But it was better than no sleep at all.

The fire Captain mentioned this to Terron, whom tiredly joked in reply; "Well, sir, with all due respect if I say this, but something tells me you will not mind too badly." Causing Miarko to laugh just as tiredly in return to his Lieutenant.

Miarko briefly glanced over the campsite, making sure everyone were doing their part, amongst other things he noticed how Seth covered the camps in a "shadow bubble" like she had done during their travel to The Vale.

Either this technique must be surprisingly cheap on magical energies, or she has a near endless supply, and despite how strong that dragoness ever may appear, Miarko'd still bet his scaly behind on the firstmost of the options. He walked over to the campfire again, laying down onto the ground with the map of the area in front of him.

If his and Sethelis' calculations were correctly guessed, and they marched on at the same pace as today without any interruptions or hindrances worse that earlier, they'd reach Warfang's broad rolling steppes and grassy hills within 3 or so days, and that was if they were lucky.

Never had he longed to fly as much as he did now, as they were in need of aid as well as carrying the valuable information back to the Directors. " _Congeria and her minions are probably scheming to strike at some other target right now…"_ He thought to himself, before noticing that whilst he had been deeply steeped in thoughts, everyone besides Sethelis had gone into the tents, and put out whatever light sources they had in there. The Shadow settled down next to him, but focusing rather on staring out into the distance and through the thin smokey layer that was her own magic with her vaguely fluorescent eye rather than talking to him.

"Well… We made progress today, at least." He said, breaking the silence. He didn't get any initial reply, but rather after a few more awkwardly quiet minutes the sounds of the night was replaced by her voice.

"Yes. We did." She simply answered. A little smile gracing her snout for a few seconds. Miarko looked back down onto the map, having drawn out a clear line of how they'd need to walk the rest of the way using a tiny bit of charcoal. And now when he was looking down at it, it didn't look too far. Only two more days of walking like this and they'd be able to fly over Warfang's walls.

But despite that big ray of hope in the horizon Miarko had to admit that he still felt slightly disappointed in himself due to the loss of his soldiers, Which he didn't word out publicly, but rather just sighed. The red scales of his shimmered slightly in the flames of the fire as he god up, looked over at the ever alert Sethelis.

"Good night." They said to each other before her turned back to the tent, and went to cram himself down amongst the others, soon drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Sethelis sat awake, only the sounds of the night accompanying her. Miarko had gone to bed hours ago, leaving her to reflect on the last couple of utter catastrophes that had been this mission:

They had lost over 50 soldiers, and barely made it out of the city alive. The fact they were even breathing right now and were not mindless drones in the army of a recently-brought-back-from-the-dead dead god is a miracle. She chuckled to herself over how utterly hopeless the situation was for them, and yet how they had been able to survive this far. "I'll be damned, this sure is sticking two claws up to religion if I ever heard about it." She mused to herself.

The hours slowly crawled by and the fire had turned to embers as she looked up at the night sky, the moons up above had moved. But only slightly. This brings memories of her time in the military, standing on guard somewhere remote. But Ancestors forgive, it was boring. And she muttered quietly. This was just as boring.

The dragoness was as alert as one can be when running at barely any sleep, being bored and tasked with just waiting for a couple of hours. Which is… Not too good, to be honest.

She laid down onto her belly, tapping the ground with her claws. After a few more minutes.

Just… A few.. More… _Minutes_...

* * *

It was early. Too early for Miarko's liking. He had never really been a morning dragon anyhow, but this time he woke as he heard shuffling and clanking of metal pieces. The dragon got up, trying his hardest top not step on any of his comrades, as dragons were cold blooded creatures, they tended to huddle up near the closest heat source. In this case it was the two Fire dragons in the group.

He stalked slowly towards the small slit in the tent door.

There he peeked out, first being blinded by the barely risen sun, but after his eyes got used to the light, he saw a familiar… Back. Her clothes were dirtier than usual and had a odd hole there or there, but there was no mistaking that this was no one other than the Skav pirate Elmira.

Miarko felt his inner flame torch itself into a fire. He was ready for anything as he slowly moved out into the open, spotting Sethelis on the floor, bound and muffled with a rag bound around her maw tightly. All sorts of things were scattered on the ground around the pirate and Miarko was certain he'd get the drop on the former Under Captain…When the pirate suddenly asimed one of her guns at him, not even turning to look. A clicking sound echoed through the camp as she prepared the pistol to fire.

"Thanks, but no thanks." The pirate hushedly said, turning around. Miarko could now see she was clutching a loaf of bread and some apples close to her chest, And she certainly was worse for wear.

Her fur was somehow even crazier and worse kept than before, even so far as to having a loose leaf in there or two. The cocky grin which had always been plastered on her face, no matter if she stood face-to-snout with a angry Spyro or locked in a interrogation room with two determined DOW Captains, was no longer there. Instead a simple determined look. Not even a hint of a smile. Rather _desperation_.

Several of those little golden trinkets she had worn, like her rings and some of the necklaces she had carried with pride were missing, her boots were muddy and looked knackered, in need for repair after a long time of use in a environment where they were not intended to be worn. As he had noted before, her coat was torn but only now did he see the stains over the front of it. Brownish red. Seemingly coagulated blood. And something told the Captain it wasn't hers.

"Call for any of your little friends and you'll end up worse than your precious madame director, Miarko." She threatened, stalwartly pointing her gun at him.

Her sword was missing, lowering the risk of close range combat with the skilled swordswoman.

That is when the Fire Dragon noted a black mist seeping along the ground, up behind the Skav, taking a form of Sethelis who materialized herself behind Elmira. Not looking too happy. "Drop the gun, pirate scum."

To which the Pirate groaned, before simply dropping it onto the ground. Miarko saw Sethelis flinch as the contraption hit the ground with a thump. Elmira in turn looked at the Fire dragon in front of her, still clutching the food close. "It wasn't even loaded. Ran out of ammunition days ago. Had to go as far as shooting someone with a button." She admitted once she had seen that the game was completely lost.

Miarko woke the others, calling for them. The camp then gathered around Elmira, Terron remarking that "Isn't that…?" To which Miarko curtly nodded. He was just as unhappy to see the criminal as Terron was surprised.

"So what do we do with her?" One voice came, from the scrawny Electricity dragon, only for the Fire dragoness ,who sat opposite to Miarko and hadn't let Elmira out of her sight for mere seconds growled; "Off with her head. Congeria's filth has already cost us our friends and so much more. She even bears the damn mark on her forehead!"

To which Elmira grumpily responded; "Yeah sure. And I _cleeearly_ look like one of her mindless drones to you, miss brooding soldier?" Nearly causing the aforementioned dragoness to almost strike out at the Pirate, had she not been ushered away by Terron to make sure nothing was done hastily.

Despite Miarko almost wishing that no one had stopped the DOW soldier. It would be one problem less.

He glanced over at Sethelis, the two were in charge so they'd need to make a decision. Neither spoke up for a few seconds, before he sat down onto his haunches as the Shadow Captain spoke.

"She is no longer one of Congeria's minions. She has killed many of them, as she has to us, and killing her would only leave tracks for the Anointed ones to follow. Hence we shall bring her back to the City and let her suffer the consequences of her actions."

And so the Pirate was bound in the strongest ropes the squad of Dragons could gather up, and then tied to a volunteer, Miarko.

And with that, they all packed up their camp, and started their journey a few hours earlier than planned. The sun rising over the treetops.

* * *

 **AN: Hello there, t'is Hawk writing! Sorry for the delay in chapters, but just like the last time, schedules hasn't been matching up, and I have even been sick for a few days. But finally we can say that we got the chapter done, and me and Mike both hope you'll enjoy it!**

 **As always, we appreciate any and all feedback! Reviews are always read and responded to when we can get to them.**

 **See you next time!**

 **-Mike & Hawk**


	12. Chapter 12

**Call of the Ancestors**

 **Chapter 12: The Homefront**

They wandered. And wandered. And wandered even more.  
It felt, as per usual by now, like they had walked for hours on end. Which, admittedly, they had been.

Sethelis was walking just behind Miarko and his more or less forced tag-along, keeping her sole eye trained on the pirate at all times. This however didn't make her inner Captain wanting to ask their captive probing questions; "Elmira. What were you doing out here, days of journey away from the closest trace of civilization?" To which she got a groan and a "Sightseeing, of course. No what am I saying? I was picking flowers for my good ol' grandma. And she has been dead for 10 years!" As a reply.

Sethelis knew they'd have to force everything out of Elmira, as that pirate is… Annoyingly resilient when it comes to sharing information with the Authorities. But for once, the Shadow dragoness decided to try another tactic, so she walked up next to Miarko, glancing over to the red dragon. "Yes, Sethelis?" He asked her, despite seeming more focused on just putting one forepaw in front of himself at a time. She leaned in closer, allowing herself to whisper; "Maybe you can coax something out of her? We both know she prefers you." Only to get a snort from her partner's nostrils. She was well aware of Miarko's nationalistic streak, but sincerely hoping he could put that aside for just a minute or two and line up that charm of his.

After looking quietly at the Fiery dragon for a minute of unbroken quiet she knew he gave in; "The things I do for you and this Mover be damned job…" the male said before slowing down to the point of walking right next to Elmira, letting Sethelis take lead.

She didn't exactly hear what they were talking about. Possibly Elmira didn't want anybody else to hear?

" _But then why would she even talk at all? It's illogical, she knows Miarko will share whatever she tells him with me._ " She thought to herself, only to suddenly halt upon hearing Miarko snarl some rather rude curses, another of the soldiers calling a "After her!" along with the zapping of electricity as the quickest member of the squad hurried after the pirate, hot on her trail.

Sethelis turned around, noticing how Miarko was bleeding from the side of his head, and had what looked like a sharpened stick jammed into his foreleg, causing him to being unable to run. And Elmira was bolting into the woods, the rope laying cut on the ground. It seemed she had been working on it for some time. Probably used her claws if nothing else.

She went to check on Miarko who simply growled at her; "Get that damned traitor. She isn't getting away this time."

* * *

Elmira felt… Scared, smug and overall pumped full of adrenaline as she ran as fast as her two legs could carry her through the woods, dodging lightning which flashed past her in bright spots of yellow. Her pursuer was persistent to say the least, alas she vaulted over a fallen old tree, causing the scrawny yellow dragon to stumble, giving the pirate some space.

She had marks on her wrists where that damned rope had been, luckily they hadn't thought about removing her claws, allowing the pirate to scratch away at it for a few hours, slowly getting loose. Nor had they noticed how she had managed to slip a sharp enough rock into her closely shut palm during a quick break a few hours back.

She had pulled off many escapes in her past, and this had by far been the easiest one so far. A quick escape? Only one pursuer? Injuring the one responsible for her capture? It had perhaps been one of her most _successful_ as well. She laughed again as the electricity bolts being fired at her continued to miss and hit the trees and rocks around her as she ran by. But despite the pirate looking like she was on the verge of slipping into the fauna ahead of her quick assailant…

She felt herself slip.

On a root, landing snout first on the ground, and as she was scampering to get up she felt a paw onto her back.

"Pfeh! And you think you'll stand a chance, goldie?" She said, snorting as she placed her hands onto the ground, starting to push herself up from the dirt. However, she suddenly started grunting and groaning in pain, twitching and sparking as she was shot with a blast of pure electric element into her back.  
Soon enough the pirate was hauled atop the Electricity dragon's back. He was beaming with pride over having caught the infamous Skav as he carried her back to the others. It seemed that Elmira had managed to deal quite the nasty blow to the Captain prior to her escape, and the DOW were certainly not going to make the same mistake again. Now they secured the Scav under bitter silence, tying her arms and legs together, as well as gagging her to stop her constant snide remarks.

" _Bugger."_ Was all Elmira thought to herself. She had been…

 _THIS_ close to escape. She could however not do much more than to roll her eyes and grunt to herself as she laid bound atop the back of a sturdy fire dragoness, in the middle of the line of DOW soldiers. She wasn't getting out of the mess this time. She just knew it...

* * *

They days carried on and nothing much happened. Finally, after the last agonizing hours of the final and last day of wandering… They could see that they were in familiar lands.  
Sethelis felt a visible smile grow upon her snout, wider and wider until it was a outright grin. And for a dragoness who normally wasn't known to show much emotion other than when she was angry this was big. The towering floating islands of Warfang with its shining marble walls gleamed in the sunlight, like a jewel.  
It's pearly white wall reflecting it to the point of almost hurting if one were to look for too long.

"Soldiers of the Defenders of Warfang. _We made it!_ " She called out clearly and loudly, earning sighs and cheers of relief. She looked over and despite his wounds even Miarko looked relieved. He had gained a slight limp on his left side due to the injury, and since they had ran out of red gems on their way it was probably the most relieving for him to know they were back in their beloved Dragon City.

Sethelis could not even describe how she felt in that moment when she spread her wings for the first time in what felt like an eternity. Relieved? No. She finally felt free.

The warmer southern breeze against her wing membrane was… Almost to the point of exciting. But her moment of simply looking at the stunning view was interrupted by Terron who spoke up; "Ma'am? We know the view is pretty and all. But we all just really want to get back to HQ and take a few days off." To which she nodded. "I'll hear with the Directors, and make sure to commemorate each and every single one of you." She started flapping her wings, taking to the air, the others following suit.

"Not only did we uncover a full scale Anointed military operation, but we also caught a villain of top priority." She said, mainly to herself. This was.. Good. And with that, the dragons flew towards the DOW Tower's iconic silhouette in the distance as the sun was slowly setting, sending it's golden rays of light over them all.

* * *

Sethelis and Miarko stood outside the familiar twin doors of the Directors at the top floor's receivement room. She glanced over at him, noting that his wounds had been healed. Except for a scar left upon his leg.

"You okay?" She asked, tilting her head slightly.

The ruby red dragon replied "Never could have been better. About to turn in a important assignment and Elmira's under lock and key, and with a dozen heavily armed guards."

Seth nodded, "Ready to go all professional?" She then asked, nudging him slightly with a wing, to which the Fire Captain shrugged.

"Ready or not, whichever the case, I'm buying us both dinner later."

Sethelis answered as she raised a paw to knock on the wooden door into Cynder's office: "Deal. If I get to pick the place."

They knocked.

Once… No reply. The two looked over at each other, and Sethelis knocked again. No reply, Miarko took charge instead, as Sethelis moved aside, taking the scroll cases of their respective reports on the mission into her paws as she stood back, Miarko knocking much harder than she had, triggering a small flinch out of his shadowy partner. "

Miarko, I-" She started in a hushed tone...

But instead she got interrupted as they could clearly hear some rummaging and the Madame Director calling out; "Coming! Give me a second…"

Cynder sounded… _Distracted_.

Once more the Captains looked at each other, Miarko's look saying one thing which was accompanied by his characteristic almost smug smirk and Sethelis' face expressing a blatant hope reality was otherwise.

As the Fire dragon reached for the door with a paw, preparing to push it open, Sethelis did at first stop him. They waited for a short time, a few seconds, rather, before they lightly nudged the door open.

Within were the two Directors, obviously.

Cynder sat behind her desk, and Spyro was facing the window, turning around just as the two Captains stepped inside, closing the door behind them.

"Ah, Captains." The dragoness said, nodding towards the two in acknowledgement.

Her face had healed decently since last they saw her, it seemed like Red Gems had once more worked their healing magics, albeit it was now apparent that Elmira's attack had left a permanent scar running across her snout and forehead. Not too disfiguring.

In fact, Sethelis had almost anticipated worse. "We've got our reports of the mission to the Vale, ma'am." She informed, and the purple Hero stepped forth looking intrigued.

"May I?" He asked, before grabbing the case in which Miarko's report was sealed away. He got the parchment out onto his Co-Director's desk, and started reading. His brow furrowing deeper by the sentence.

Cynder however looked almost twice as troubled upon having the revelation of that Congeria's power had evolved into actively possessing people now rather than acting through one single person.

"This is bad…" The two murmured, almost in perfect unison. Seth then took word, looking over at Miarko.

"I haven't reviewed Miarko's report, but in mine you will find something interesting regarding our trip home." She noted, before going back to her formal silent stance. The two Directors looked up towards their Captains, Spyro having some sign of relief upon his snout. "Miarko, it says here that you later proceeded to escort Elmira to the Warfang city dungeons. I assume everything was taken into account and that no harm befell the pirate on her way there?" His grayish purple eyes boring into the Captain's.

"I...I assume that everything was according to the book, Director," said Miarko, lightly cursing under his breath, "I made sure that she was under guard and was unharmed during my trip with her down there."

"Good. I know most people in this city, admittedly both you and me included, wants nothing more than to see her punished for her crimes, but bureaucracy has to have its course. Luckily she will not be our problem for now." He said, sighing.

"Then, whilst both of you had made very detailed accounts of your stay in the North, I wish to ask a few questions regarding the commandant-" Only for Cynder to interrupt him. "Was there anything out of the ordinary? Did he behave strange?"

And once more Sethelis turned to Miarko. She herself isn't much of a people's person, so sometimes defining… Strange within someone of military doctrine is more of Miarko's thing than hers.

"He...he was the one who tried to have us killed," Miarko responded, nodding, "Beyond that? I didn't really notice anything terribly out of the ordinary...what makes you ask, Director?"

Cynder looked down upon her documents on the desk, collecting them up from the unusually disarranged surface. She cleared her throat before reading up a few sentences, all describing how people in command at different military outposts and such had all started to behave strangely.

"... So all in all, after what our informants from the 18th has told us, and from your own accounts, it appears this was the first time Congeria had managed to fully take the mind of someone with authority. I'm no expert on religion and thus I can only assume things. But you two might need to go and hear with the Guardians, they are of the older generation after all, and thus a little more… Pious than others."

Sethelis looked over at Spyro whom in turn nodded. "Thank you for the reports, now dismissed."

Sethelis saluted, "Director, Madame Director." She formally stated, awaiting Miarko to do the same, afterwhich the two left the heroes to their own devices.

* * *

"The Guardians?" Miarko asked, looking over at Sethelis for an answer, "Why them? Why now?"

Sethelis thought to herself, beating her wings as the two landed upon the Dragon City's finely cobbled streets, having flown down towards the streets from atop the DOW's floating little plaza. "I suppose they are the closest thing to priests in the worship of The Ancestors. So I suppose they would know Congeria best?"

"I suppose you're right, but...I don't know. I've never had to report to them in the past," he responded, shrugging.

"Oh, we won't have to report to them. I think." Sethelis admitted in return, rolling her one eye. "They are not a part of our organisation, but they still hold general authority. And from what Spyro has said, they're kind enough. I do not know of their new addition, though." She said, a tone of annoyance clearly there.

"New addition?" Miarko responded, raising an eye ridge. To which the Shadow dragoness was seen looking genuinely surprised.

"You're saying you didn't know?" She rhetorically asked at first, the two taking a turn to the left, following the main street.

"The Guardian of Fire, Ignitus, was killed in the fighting against the Dark Master's troops. They only recently announced his successor. Some dragoness from down south named Ifrit."

"You don't sound very pleased about her," The Fire Captain said with one eye ridge raised.

"I still do not know much about her." Was the Shadow dragoness' simple response. "Must've been trained in secret or something, and as you may have figured, I like knowing things in advance. But she is a big question mark, haven't made much of a public appearance, nor has she addressed anything as of yet. I suppose we're her first real thing on the job."

"Ugh," Miarko said with disdain, "I'm no good with first impressions, especially with my superiors. Hopefully this goes over well…"

"You? Bad first impressions?" Sethelis asked, giving the Fire dragon a nudge with her wing. "If anything, you'll be the one to shine here." She stated seemingly confident in his innate charisma. "I can confirm that personally."

"Don't compliment me too much," he said, laughing lightly, "You might stroke that ego of mine even further."

"And that isn't a good thing?" She teased, chuckling lightly to herself. They were coming up on the big impressive building that was where the four Guardians resided, the gates opening autonomously as if handled by a magic spell when the two approached up to the doorstep.

"... Say, you're a non-believer when it comes to the Ancestors. Care to fill me in about the… Eh… Maker?" She then inquired, glancing upon his pendant.

Miarko looked down and nodded at the pendant, "I was raised differently than most people that I know. I don't know why but my parents just...rejected the Ancestors. I guess I never really questioned it. I was raised to believe in nothing, but...well, my education and my intellectual studies at the Academy just taught me to think differently. So, I started believing in the Prime Mover," he said, winking as he corrected her, "Do you really want to know about a god you don't believe in?"

This made Sethelis nod. "In fact it does, we may be of differing faiths, but he proof that the Ancestors are actual real and clearly more sinister than previously thought beings has made me… Reconsider. Besides, learning is what I love most." She replied at the two continued inside, being met with a servant.

"We would need a audience with a Guardian, any element works just fine." She addressed, before following up with their names and who they were. The servant nodded and said, in a dry voice: "I will notify one of the four masters and make sure one of them address you shortly. Feel free to take a seat." To which Sethelis went and sat down upon one of the offered cushions.

"So…" She started, looking over at Miarko once the servant had gone.

Miarko nodded as he sat down, "The Mover...it's hard to describe. Instead of Ancestors denoted to a specific sphere of influence and having their paws at work at all times, think of something that is content to let their work, these Realms, develop under its own power. No Mover influence, nothing. That is the short of the Prime Mover. An absent god that oversaw creation then let it develop on its own, without the need for influence from other gods."

Sethelis seemingly had a hard time wrapping her head around the concept, as she asked in turn; "Then if they do not oversee their creation, do they not care?"

"That is for us to find out," Miarko said simply.

As they were about to continue their discussion, their talk got interrupted by the dry-voiced servant again, whom cleared his throat. "Master Cyril and Master Ifrit will see you by the Pool of Visions." they addressed before opening a door leading further in.

Sethelis got up and Miarko followed, the two walked (or limping, in Miarko's case) into what looked to be the heart of the building. There was a green swirling pool in the centre of a round chamber, and at its center was a tall blue Ice dragon whom they both recognised at Cyril, the Guardian of Ice, and next to him was a smaller dragoness, her frame very feminine yet strong. She was clearly well built and looked like she had seen her fair share of combat, having burns here and there despite being a dragon of fire, her scales having a flaming pattern over her entire body only disrupted by said burns, as well as her chest plates whom all were a deeper earthy brown.

She was intensively staring into the green waters.

"Ah...Master Guardians?" came Miarko's voice.

Cyril looked over, the Ice Guardian looked practically as if he hadn't aged a day since the Dark Master's second defeat. "Ah, you two must be the Captains we have been hearing so much about." He exclaimed, giving the two a nod of acknowledgement.

Sethelis bowed slightly. In a manner which made it pretty apparent that she was unaware if one should actually bow or not. "Guardian Cyril, miss…?" She asked, looking over at the Guardian whom had her back turned.

Cyril shook his head; "She is in a vision. We cannot disturb her right now. Ifrit will most likely come to at any moment now." He reassured, before sitting down on his haunches; "Anyhow, any trifling matters I can help you two with?"

"We were sent by Director Spyro and Director Cynder," Miarko replied, "Regarding the... _Congeria Situation_ ," he finished in a hushed tone.

Cyril's look went from a friendly smile to a seriousness one would rarely expect from the Ice Guardian. "Ah, I see." He started, his voice now lowered slightly. He then proceeded to tilt his head in curiosity. "Say… What is it you require? Spyro and Cynder has reassured us that they had the situation under control, we have of course promised to aide in what ways we can."

Sethelis in turn explained that Cynder sent them to, as the Madame Director herself put it; " _Go and hear with the Guardians"._

"In essentiality, we need to know everything there is to know about Congeria. Any sources that are reliable or possibly something we can use against her?"

"Of course, let me just see what my fellow Electricity Guardian has stored-"

A crash.

" _For Chaos!"_

Miarko and Sethelis were hit from behind, knocking them over. Two figures came to stand in front of them.

Three new forms emerged from the skylight above. Landing swiftly near the Guardians, taking offensive stances.

Miarko's eyes quickly caught the insignia of Congeria on their cloaks. And their eyes...glowing?

"Assassins."

* * *

 **AN: Oh boy! It's a two-parter! Both Mike and I are hoping that you are enjoying what we're putting poor Miarko and Sethelis through, believe me when I say that they are not!**

 **Yes you heard me right, I, Hawk, am informing you that this chapter is only part one, so the trouble has just begun. Stay tuned for part two!**

 **As always, we appreciate any and all feedback! Reviews are always read and responded to when we can get to them.**

 **See you next time!**

 **-Mike & Hawk**


	13. Chapter 13

**Call of the Ancestors**

 **Chapter 13: The New Guardian**

The assassins were swift. Light footed, yet clad in sturdy armor which was seemingly a mix of plated metal and leather. Dragons and bipeds alike.

Alas one of them wasn't as lucky as his comrades, having landed far too close to the Guardian of Ice, whom with a huff of his breath sent out a cloud of ice and snow, and once it laid to the ground, the Assassin was frozen solid inside a clump of ice. The Guardian spread his wings, admittedly looking terrifying. "I may be old, but that doesn't mean Congeria can dare think just a few lowly assassins can take me down!" Cyril called out, as he made his way in between the entranced Fire Guardian and the minions of the dead god.

Whilst all this had happened, the two captains came to their senses after the brief moment of confusion. Sethelis was just about to rise up on her paws, when she felt a boot onto her back and a blade against her throat. Shame one cannot simply grab at shadows.

Turning herself into a mist of black smoke, sinking low against the ground, Sethelis was free of her bonds. She noted how if she hadn't been as quick as she had, her throat would have been slit by now. Before she rapidly drew back behind her and Miarko's assailants, launching up from the floor in a flurry of claws and choking darkness. This in turn gave her companion a chance to whip with his tail, sending one of the two assassins flying into a nearby wall. She saw how he grimaced, having to strain his recently healed leg.

However, one of their assailants were still standing, landing heavily onto the ground with a thud. His glowing eyes fixated on Captain Miarko. A dragon who had… Far too many spikes all over his body. And indeed the assassin's approach towards his Firebreathing target wasn't as orthodox as a elemental blast, but rather a charge where striking back would hurt as much as being hit.

* * *

Miarko had to think quickly. That living pincushion was heading straight for him. And with his still recovering leg he wouldn't be able to launch himself to the side in time. So the Fire dragon used a more… Direct approach.

Fireball.

To the face.

And indeed it did lead to an explosion. The Assassin had dropped dead, its corpse sliding across the marble for a few seconds before stopping as a smoldering heap of burnt flesh. Turning around to see how Cyril was doing, and to his relief the Guardian was staving off his attackers fairly well. But one had slipped past, and made their way around the Guardian and was sprinting towards Ifrit, blade drawn. Just as the foe was about to strike Miarko enwrapped himself in flames, and dashed forth, just as she arose from her trance with a surprised gasp did the Fire Captain push her off of her paws and out of the way.

The Assassin with their glowing eyes glared emptily at the Fire captain, he was once more standing firm, despite being unable to put too much weight at his leg. The Captain asked Ifrit, without turning to look at her, "Are you alright?" To which the Guardian replied with a simple "Yes… A bit disoriented, but I should manage," as the Captain of the 17th helped her regain her footing.

But not shortly after, the Assassin descended upon them again, his blow deflected by Miarko raising a wing. The blow cut through the membrane of the Fire Captain, causing him to cry out in pain. The blade mere centimeters away from the Guardianess' face.

He fell down as the Assassin raised his blade again...

Then… Sethelis dove out out of the corner of his eye, slashing at the Assassin with her claws, the enemy fell after a short trade of blows, earning the Shadow Captain a new couple of tears in her right wing. Whilst she wasn't bleeding, He heard Sethelis snarl as she dispatched their foe.

After the sounds of battle stopped, and the glow in the eyes of the six murderers had waned, leaving their corpses cold on the marble floor. Cyril was bleeding from a wound upon his shoulder, the dagger still lodged into his flesh as he turned to speak with the younger dragons.

"You two saved our lives today. That will not be forgotten soon…" He mused, Miarko noting how Ifrit was looking at him specifically, admirably.

Cyril sighed before looking over at his wounds. "I will need to go and see myself tended to. If you wouldn't mind, Sethelis, you could join me and get to Volteer." He spoke, to which Seth gave Miarko a knowing nod, before following the Ice Guardian. Once the doors were shut, Ifrit had turned to Miarko.

"You saved me. Thank you…?" She started, leading on to draw an introduction.

Miarko replied "Miarko. DOW, Captain of the 17th."

The Guardian in turn nodded, "Very well, thank you Miarko. I owe you my life, and I love I'll make it up to you, I assure you… It would have been a shame if I were to die so soon after being initiated. I was… Busy when you and your comrade came in, so do you mind if I ask why you are here?"

"We're here about the business concerning the Congeria crisis," Miarko responded, nodding his head at the question, "Any information the Guardians may have stored away about her capabilities, plans, etcetera."

This caused Ifrit to frown. "This explains my visions. I have been getting them more and more frequently, and they all follow a similar pattern. A great darkness once more threatening everything, just not in the way we might imagine." She admitted, glancing towards the green pool, whose waters remained surprisingly still yet murky.

"You believe these visions to point to Congeria's growing presence within the City?" Miarko responded.

"Within and outside our walls, yes. It is very rare for a Ancestor to take direct action outside of minor influences. The latest time such a thing happened was back when the Dark Master was defeated the second time." the Guardian replied, nodding. She sat down upon her haunches, resting.

"10 years ago," Miarko responded, as images of the struggle against Malefor flashed through the war veteran's mind, "Anything concrete that you can determine from these images?"

"Well, we know already that her power is growing. But also, I think… Yes!" Ifrit shone up, as if a sudden realization had struck her.  
"Just like upon the Dark Master's return 13 years ago there was recordings of Ignitus suffering from visions like mine. Darkness focusing…." She went quiet, and scurried over to a small shelf lined with old scrolls.

She pulled one out, opening it as it showed drawings, few details but yet clear. Darkness focusing down into one single being.

"All the evil is stemming from one person. Congeria must either have a Avatar of sorts, or maybe someone under her command, a host?"

"A...Host? We've had conflict with more than a few of those controlled by the Chaos Mistress, but do you think there's a...central one? A commander, of sorts?"

Ifrit pointed with a claw at the center of the deep green murky waters. "Aye. I presume these ones with glowing eyes were different from her other minions?"

Miarko looked into the Pool and saw nothing, "Unfortunately, I don't have the gift to see the images that you do in the Pool, but from the way you describe it, it seems as if that is not far from the truth."

Ifrit sighed; "I am sorry… I get carried away and sometimes do not remember that others cannot see the waters in the way I do. But what I am asking of you is: can you describe to me the foes you have fought so far? I can bet that Volteer will pour over this information once you've told me." And just as Miarko was about to ask her why, " Not everyone can withstand his…" She interrupted him, visibly rolling her eyes. " _Enthusiasm_."

Miarko thought for a few moments, before recounting their foes; "A while back, when the investigation was still young, there was your average run-of-the-mill people who were dedicated to her, they retained free will and could even leave the order on their own behest. Like the Skav Pirate Elmira, I doubt you've not heard of her. But once we had started to dig into the case we discovered that Congeria was getting stronger, eventually using some form of mind control to create drones, or just… Force her way into people's heads." He started, Ifrit listening in, concerned.

"Do you think these were…?" The Guardian then asked, and motioned to the corpses with her tail.

Miarko shook his head in response and said "No… They acted far too independent to be her mindless drones, and these were the first with glowing eyes."

She proceeded to roll one of the corpses, the one which had nearly taken her life, onto its back. The eyes were normal, and yet empty as if the stare they produced was into nothingness.

"Well, whatever Congeria had put into them disappeared when they died. Maybe it was some sort of mystical power?" She theorized, to which a clear and rapid voice spoke:

"That is possibly a rather plausible and positively inclined hypothesis, Ifrit!"

* * *

As Ifrit turned to face Volteer, Sethelis had taken note to the strange scrolls and texts it seemed the Guardian and Miarko had been studying.  
She wasn't the best at reading at a distance, might be because her lack of depth perception, but those scrolls were about the Dark Master. Did the fallen Purple Dragon have something to do with this?

She'd hold her speculations back until later, as the Shadow Captain sat down upon her haunches the Guardian of Electricity stepped forth.

And Sethelis was surprised he hadn't run out of breath yet. She glanced to Ifrit who nodded in a patient manner. It was seemingly not a unfamiliar thing that Volteer would be lost in his own little bubble where he'd just turn into a tide of self-debating, information and hypothesis. The Shadow Captain did have to keep her poker face straight as her companion limped over, tapping the talkative Guardian on the shoulder. The effects were rather humorous as Volteer blinked, going from a slew of words at near the speed of lighting to a confused "Erhh…?" Earning a reaction from Ifrit; "Slow down you silly old wyrm." The Fire dragoness spoke, causing Volteer to fluster slightly.

"I am sorry, young ones. I just usually get very… _Caught_ in my own thoughts. But yes, to clarify what I was indeed suggesting: Congeria had the abusive power to inbound her servants with a power of… Spontaneous effects. They always varied for good or bad, seemingly like she didn't care what happened to her followers as long as it caused her enemies harm. And it seems she didn't cease to think this was a bad idea even post-resurrection." To which Sethelis interrupted.

"Volteer, so what you're saying is that if we see one of her minions with glowing eyes we should just turn our backs and run?" To which the yellow dragon shook his head.

"No. Not necessarily. But the fact that she can corrupt her minions to the point of them breaking before her dominating will is… Bad. It means that we only have one option before she turns her ever-burning gaze upon our very citizens." Volteer said.

This in turn caused Miarko to state, deep in thought: "So what do we do to hide from a entity… Eh, god of sorts?"

Which made Ifrit nod. "There is a way. If all of us Guardians agree we can activate a… Countermeasure. But I doubt It'll not be liked by anyone in the City." This earned a questioning look from the two non-Guardians in the room, causing Ifrit to explain.

She walked over to the pool of Reflection, sweeping with a paw over the shallow green water huffing out a flame. A magical image of the Dragon City appeared floating shortly over the surface. "After the defeat of Malefor, the Guardians and the two Saviors all decided that just after the mourning of Ignitus and the reparations of Warfang we'd make sure the City would always be safe and never under pressure from any magical threat again. Thus we created, in utter secrecy, what we call _The Infinium_. A magical energy field strong enough to surround our entire city and a small portion of the lands outside our walls. There is a catch; All connection to the Ancestors will be broken. For everyone. All dragons within the shield will lose their elemental powers, I will lose my ability to see visions or… At least it's assumed I will, and all magic crystals will lose their power rendering them useless. We haven't tried removing them from the field once activated, so we do not know if the effects on gems are reversible. We do however know that once a dragon is out of the bubble they'll have their powers restored. And before anyone asks, precautions have been taken to ensure that the new "floating streets" won't come crashing down upon the new areas which sprung up bellow."

Miarko's eyes widened. "You can do that? It will render a large part of Warfang's army and gem stores useless!"

"Yes, Miarko. But what other option do we have?"

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Hello! Hawk here telling you that this sure doesn't look too bright. What is a dragon without fire?**

 **On another note, me and Mike are sorry that we're taking such time, but this is the holiday season after all. December tends to be slow for us, due to Christmas and New Year's Eve.**

 **So from Miarko, Sethelis & me and Mike to you guys reading: We hope you guys had some Happy holidays and that 2018 will (hopefully) be even better! **

**As always, we appreciate any and all feedback! Reviews are always read and responded to when we can get to them.**

 **See you next time!**

 **-Mike & Hawk**


	14. Chapter 14

**Call of the Ancestors**

 **Chapter 14: A Personal Thanks**

The following days after carrying the news of The Infinium to Spyro and Cynder were relatively quiet for both Miarko and Sethelis, no new leads came up in their hunt of this "Host", nor was there any Anointed activity. Everything was quiet for once. A bit too quiet, almost.

At least that is what Sethelis thought to herself, sitting behind her desk, it was a morning about a week later and she was filling out a report regarding something her agents was uncovering. Before she had followed this with great interest, given unraveling criminal empires was one of her favorite kinds of investigations. Right now though?

It was almost like this Congeria ordeal was a good play or book, something she couldn't wait to just pounce back onto. The dragoness sighed to herself before placing the parchment in a scroll case, hanging it over her neck. "Another day, another boring report." She muttered to herself as she left the quiet office and walked out into the corridor which was unusually bustling with people. Having missed why there was such commotion, she turned to some Ice dragon who was peering out one of the windows.

"Excuse me, Sergeant, but what is going on?" she asked.

The Ice dragon turned to face her and simply asked "Haven't you heard? Captain Miarko was summoned by the Guardians half an hour ago to be rewarded for something."

This caused Sethelis to frown. More than usual.

"What? Why wasn't I told about this?" She asked, getting only a shrug in reply from the Ice dragon. "Well, the Guardians were going to make a public address so most civilians that can has made their way to the Temple Pla-"

The Shadow dragoness didn't even wait for the dragon to finish his sentence, but instead bolted down the corridor and then down the staircase spiraling it's way towards ground floor. She didn't even stop properly to speak with Shadow #2, whom met her in the stairwell.

Instead she spoke with a Captain's authority. "I want you and 10 others of your choice at the Temple Plaza within the hour, blend into the crowd, secure rooftops and keep an eye on all VIP's in the area. Count Miarko as one of aforementioned." Before dashing off. She ran across the cobbled square of the DOW tower's floating island and jumped off the edge. It'd not be a long glide with the speed she flew. "Damn, damn, damn!" She cursed to herself.

How could she have missed this?! This was a huge Ancestors be damned security risk! She saw the colorful crowd filling up the street and yard below her as she slowly approached the ground. There was troops from the Military, as well as some DOW guarding the growing crowd. It felt like half the city had come to see what all this was about.

After making it clear with the Guard who she was, given that they blocked her path towards where the Guardians were held. Seth made her way up the cleared Temple staircase, which would later act as a improvised stage. She didn't even bother with opening the door, rather Shadow Stepping under it, reforming out of a cloud of black smoke. There she saw all four Guardians, Ifrit easily spotted amongst the elderly dragons, given her shorter and more feminine stature. As well as Miarko, having seemingly been kitted out with a fancy new set of armor. Which seemed to be far past your average Captain pay grade.

"Miarko, what in all absolute Convexities is this?!"

* * *

Miarko was shell-shocked. His maw fell agape at the sudden bursting in of the Shadow Captain. Was she not aware of what was happening today?

"Captain Sethelis, were you not made aware of this recognition?" he asked her, his face showing amix of concern and confusion which only got furthered by even more confusion when his fellow Captain walked up saying bluntly "No. I was not made aware. Is this something I should have been made aware of?"

"I thought that we were both getting honored…" he said, looking over at the Fire Guardianess, seeking an explanation.

"Apparently not." Sethelis added, looking over at the other Guardians. The three older dragons had noticed the commotion and were joining their Fire colleague. Only for Volteer to open his mouth;

"I do believe this must have been a misunderstanding. But do not worry, we can have something arranged for you after the ceremony, Captain." The yellow Guardian spoke, earning a nod from the other two elders. But before anyone had any time to say anything else a Mole came hurrying, shouting "Time's up, people! We've got a crowd waiting!"

"Come on out with us at least Seth," said Miarko, a light smile on his face as he looked at her, offering a paw, "Not like I can stand out there with these political officials all on my own. You know how I feel about politicians."

Sethelis seemed disgruntled at first, but to Miarko's relief it seemed she'd be willing to let it go for now. His smile grew ever so slightly when she took his paw in turn and answered; "Well, someone's gotta make sure you look good in that armor,"

And so the two Captains moved out, followed by the four Guardians, ready to meet the crowds.

The crowd of dragons, Moles, Cheetahs and others all quieted down when the group stepped out. Ifrit clearing her throat and letting out a flame as to gather all the attention, speaking up.  
"Warfang! We have gathered the ones of you who felt like coming today to issue a sign of gratitude to these two dragons." She started, gesturing to Miarko and Sethelis with a wing, her voice filled with confidence as she continued her speech to the masses.

"These two dragons, no… These two soldiers belonging to the organisation we all know as the Defenders of Warfang! For exactly one week ago, an attempt at the life of two of our beloved Guardians failed due to their involvement!" Surprised gasps and murmurs was heard. Miarko knew word had been spreading all around town, but probably been shrugged off as a rumor.

"Yes, but this is a sign." She paced, not letting the mass out of sight once, her voice ever clear and loud as it echoed over the sea of heads before her.

"That we know our fair City is in good claws, that we will not let anyone harm our people, our faith nor our resolve! And it is with honor that I, Ifrit, With my first public act as the Guardian of Fire, decree a official thank you to Miarko, Captain of the 17th and to Sethelis, Captain of the 18th! Thank you, both!" And with that she quieted down. Only for the crowd to start a applause, cheering. Even some DOW privates chanting " _D-O-W_!" repeatedly from the crowd.

Miarko couldn't help but feel pride in the moment, a light smile creeping onto his face as he looked over at Sethelis, smiling at her lightly. He had almost expected her to keep that stiff and disciplined look she'd usually have at public appearances, but no. He was met with a equally bright grin.

It was slightly shocking to see her so bright at an event like this one, but seeing her enjoying herself was enough to make the Fire Captain smile back at her before looking back out over the crowd and engaging in the chanting himself.

After a few moments and another smile from both the Fire Guardian and Sethelis, Ifrit stepped back up to the podium and moved her paw up and down, gesturing for the audience to calm down and lower their volume. After waiting for a few moments, she began speaking again.

"Thank you to everyone who helped make this moment possible. But we were far from being finished with this fight. I implore each and every one of you to continue working towards establishing a lasting peace within our City by continuing to pursue your tasks with as much effort and motivation as you can muster. Ancestors bless the Guardians, Ancestors bless the Dragon City!"

A loud roar echoed through the plaza as Ifrit put her paw up in there, receiving the same gesture from many of the individuals in the audience. Miarko couldn't help but feel a slight bit of pride as the cheers echoed through the plaza.

The entire group bowed their heads and left the stage, coming back down off from the stage and back inside the building behind them.

Once they were all inside the large building and the door was shut, Miarko felt as if all the air in his lungs just left him, and he simply turned to his fellow Captain, about to say something with a big smile on his lips.

"Well, I haven't seen you sm-"

Only to be interrupted by a cheetah approaching them with a clipboard: "You're Captain Sethelis of the D.O.W?" he asked, holding a pen.

Sethelis in turn turned herself 180 degrees just to see the cat, and answered with a curt nod. Miarko took a few steps back, but kept on listening. It seemed someone had talked to the same smith they had make him his new set of armor, and the Cheetah, a apprentice, needed the female dragon's measurements. Miarko did in turn stop listening, and rather turned to the other dragoness instead, facing a confident looking Ifrit.

"You two did excellent, even if it was a little improvisation." She started, doing a little gesture towards Miarko as a 'walk with me'.

"Of course, my lady," Miarko responded to the nonverbal cue, following her away from the group. The two walked along a rounded hall, seemingly only there for decorative purposes, as large paintings of historical events and prominent members of Warfangian society lined the marble walls. Their voices reverberating from the walls, having a slight echo. Miarko did note they were alone, just before Ifrit spoke.

"Say, I have not heard too much about the details in your investigation. Despite my… Authority and my kind requests, Sethelis' people have shown to be rather unwilling to tell me anything. And I simply haven't been able to reach neither Spyro or Cynder. So I turn to you. I do want to help after all, so I see no reason to keep me in the dark." She continued, glancing across the room. Eyeing each one of the paintings,

"Besides, your little adventures interest me. Even if I do admit some of them sounds a little too much like a fairy-tale."

She looked back at the Captain, her eyes basically telling him that he held information she really sought for.

"You want to hear about my tales of battle?" he asked, blinking, "I must admit, I thought you'd have tales of your own, my Lady. I suppose I could engage in some storytelling, though. What do you want to hear?"

The Guardianess looked at him, expectantly at first ,but then in a more mild interested manner. "Well, I have witnessed your combat prowess firsthand. I was more thinking about that thing you and your partner are working on. The investigation? Or is that confidential?" She said, smirking trickily. "But I wouldn't mind a tale or two."

"It's classified to the general public, but considering the DOW originally got our commission from the Guardians, I don't believe we would be at any odds if I discussed the tales of the Crisis so far...perhaps over dinner?" he finished, with an extremely light wink at the Fire Guardianess.

Ifrit looked interested once more. Even more so than before. Miarko smirked to himself as she opened her maw to speak, "A dinner? It would be impolite of me to decline. At my estate, or somewhere else? I would have to warn you though, going around publicly tends to draw crowds…" She replied, smirking right back at him.

Miarko felt slightly relieved he had tucked his amulet under his armor. Probably wouldn't look so good if he had been wearing that right in front of her.

"I'd love to join you for some...private time at your estate, my Lady," he responded, smiling with evident confidence.  
The she-dragon giggled slightly, "My-my, you sure do have your way with words. And here I was thinking you DOW lot were going to be as stiff as the military brass. But I appear to be wrong."

Miarko chuckled before replying, still keeping the ever-so-confident smile up. "That is a common misconception. Whilst we do have discipline, we always try to give our soldiers and command freedom to do what they want when enjoying some R&R, be it at a Guardian's table or in their own home." The charming captain spoke, circulating the Guardian with a smirk.

Ifrit trailed him with her eyes,nodding. "Very well. I will see you at my estate in the City Center later tonight, then?" Miarko gave her a affirmative smile, before saying his farewells and turning to walk back to Sethelis and the other Guardians.

Upon arriving into the big hall once more he saw how the only ones remaining in the hall was Sethelis, who currently had to show off her wingspan as the apprentice Cheetah took her measurements. The dragoness craned her neck slightly to look over at the Captain. "So, what was it you and Ifrit spoke of?"

Miarko thought quickly, should he..? Then he mentally shook himself, knowing that the truth is always best. At least...half truths.

"She's curious about the ongoings of our investigations," he replied, his maw remaining serious and business-like, "And with the hall shutting its doors here for the day shortly, she wanted to go over everything I had back at her dwelling," he finished.

Sethelis nodded. "Good, good. I suppose I should come over, too? If not, I guess I got some dusty old files to go through and an entire archive to read over. Terrador said we had full access to whatever The Guardians have on the Ancestors, so I'd hope to find something on Congeria there." The blue-black dragoness spoke, flinching as the Cheetah pricked her membrane with a claw; "Ow! Watch it, will you?"

Miarko waved a paw, indicating the lack of need for her presence, "I'll take care of it. Feel free to take the rest of the evening off anyways, we've certainly earned it over the last few days…"

"You are right, those social calls and formal dinners were never my type of thing anyhow." The Shadow explained in reply, giving him a little smile. "I'll probably just creep back into my little corner with a good book or two. Or three. Enjoy your meal… Whenever it will be? This evening?"

"I assume that's the direction she's going to take it," Miarko said with a feigned shrug, "Then again, what do I know?" he finished with a light chuckle and a wink at Seth, as if mentioning their...previous escapades.

"We both know you can be clever with that maw of yours. Now are you just going to sit there like a goof, or get off of your red behind and be productive? I can't leave before…" She turned her head as she spoke, looking upon the Cheetah, who now was studying her left hind leg, using a measuring tape. "... Slowpoke here is done."

Miarko nodded with a slightly bewildered look at her companion's behavior, then nodded again as if to clear his mind and spoke, "That's...yep. I'm going to get on my way now, I think. You two have...fun tonight."

"Well, if he doesn't hurry up I might just be here all night." Seth called over, giving a dismissive yet friendly wave with a paw his way.  
The Fire Captain in turn left the building, humming the….yes, the Warfangian Anthem to himself. Unbeknownst to the Fire Dragon there was a pair of eyes tracking him from a nearby rooftop. As the dragon walked down the street and away from the plaza this watchful shadow crept along the rooftops, making sure to keep him visible at all times.

* * *

 _Knock, knock_

No answer.

 _Knock, knock, knock_

Still nothing.

 _Knock, knock, knock, knock, knock...knock, knock!_

There was finally shuffling on the other side of the door. After a few moments, the large doors opened and revealed…

"Lady Ifrit?"

She was...adorned, to put it mildly. She was already attractive for her age in the Fire Captain's eyes, but this was...unexpected. What greeted him in the doorway was a display of beauty unlike any the Captain had seen in recent times.

The Fire Guardianess had clearly taken time to improve her appearance after the events of the last thirty-six hours. She had polished and shined her scales thoroughly, and Miarko swore he could almost see his reflection in the bright crimson that shone at him. She had adorned herself in light silks all around her body, which was common formal wear for...romantic occasions. Miarko was lucky that he was still wearing the formal armor he had been gifted earlier in the day...Either way, it was rather evident she had wanted to leave an impression, and it sure was a fine one.

"Ah, Captain Miarko. I was expecting you to arrive any minute now, and here you are. Timely." She started, giving him a kind smile, offering for the Fire Dragon to enter, shutting the door to the lavish hallway behind him.

Miarko cleared his throat, trying to clear the slight nervousness that had taken over him after seeing the Guardianess, and then spoke, "I'm always making sure that I'm on time for elegant women like yourself, my Lady," he finished, the confidence returning to his tone as he spoke.

"Well, well, well. It appears you have manners to match your good looks. The food is already prepared, so we do not need to wait." The Guardianess informed him, once more smiling that dazzling smile.

Miarko followed his hostess into a relatively modestly decorated dining room, a open balcony watching out over the lower city. In the middle of the room there was a round table with cushions surrounding it for seats, and the food upon it was… Well. Anything less than divine would have been unfair to say. It appeared that a Guardian's salary sure gave Ifrit no need to worry about costs. The scents of the room filled Miarko's head as he sat down, Ifrit doing the same opposite of him.

"This was slightly unexpected, my Lady," spoke the Captain, glancing about the room and then focusing his gaze on the lovely sight in front of him, "But very, very welcome." to which Ifrit nodded appreciatively.

"I thought that since we'd be discussing some interesting matters, why not make the food equally interesting?" She said, and Miarko could have sworn she winked. Must've been a trick of the light.

"I can't deny the validity of that argument, your grace," he responded with a light chuckle, "Did you prepare all of this?"

Ifrit chuckled lightly over the statement, shaking her head gently. "No, I did not make all of this by my own. I may be able to summon a fiery inferno within a matter of minutes, but cooking is not my forté. I had a servant of mine help me with this. I sent them all home for the evening though, no need for servants when I will focus entirely on just my guest, no?"

"In that case, I appreciate the genuine hospitality that you are treating me to, your grace," he responded, bowing his head genuinely, "The effort that you have went to is...most impressive."

"Thank you, Captain Miarko. But now, please, I insist that you try the food and tell me of this… Investigation you are working on." The Fire Guardianess said, seemingly eager to learn of Miarko's adventures so far, "Nothing beats a good dinner with a story to the side."

Miarko nodded at the statement and took a moment to take a bite to gather his thoughts, "Well, this all started with a knock on my apartment door…"

Some time later, most of the few plates at the table were empty. Whatever light had been left in the sky outside the great windows in the dining room had faded away, only leaving the flickering of candlelight and torchlight dancing around the room. However, Miarko had hardly noticed.

His attention had fully and only been focused on the sight of the lady in front of him. There had been laughs, serious moments and slight shock from the Guardianess as he had described the events of his escapades since his Lieutenant had barged into his room that one morning.

"...and that lead up to where we are now. In this lovely company that I find myself in at the moment," he said, his forepaw leaning on the table as he continued to stare...longingly at the Fire Guardianess.

She looked right back at him, eyes deep. Almost as if he'd drown in them if he could. "Well, you have been through quite the adventure and I would love to hear more." She started, before getting up from her haunches. "But maybe not here, I would love another room, which would be perfect for occasions like these. Call it a personal little thanks." She said, the tip of her tail brushing against his snout as she walked past him. The Captain followed her up a flight of stairs, before she opened a door leading into a bedchamber.

This night was a success.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **A personal thanks indeed!**

 **Once again we take our time, but that is mainly to make sure that we 'publish' the best chapters we can!  
Mike and I thank you for sticking with us for all this time and hope that you enjoyed this chapter. Make sure to stay tuned for the next one!**

 **As always, we appreciate any and all feedback! Reviews are always read and responded to when we can get to them.**

 **See you next time!**

 **-Mike & Hawk**


	15. Chapter 15

**Call of the Ancestors**

 **Chapter 15: A Chance Meeting?**

It was a early morning when she had been awoken. Very early indeed. The sun had barely even risen above the treetops to caress Warfang's outer riviera, Sydale laid spread out amongst satin blankets and pillows. Yet she could not find rest. No.

The voice of a dead Ancestor was speaking to her from the very back of her head. The noble groaned at first, slowly coming to her senses.

"How is the plan coming along?" Congeria asked, her voice a sharp contrast to Sydale's own thoughts. But before the noble had time to even reply the god replied to herself; "Do not say anything, I know it is going splendid. The Guardians are… _Desperate_. The DOW, a pathetic excuse for a sanctioned military force, scampering for clues wherever they can find them. Not even considering we might have even placed some ourselves."  
Sydale rose, glancing out the big window in her room, opening the glass door leading out to her balcony, looking out over the stunning view of Warfang and the lands surrounding it. Her family's luxurious estate blended in finely with the other highly priced houses and summer nests of Warfang's upper classes. A perfect place, as no one would suspect a member of a conservative aristocrat family to bear the weight of a deity of pure unbridled chaos upon her wings.

"It seems to me that you are hesitating, my Champion," came the Mistress' voice again, with a slight tone of disapproval in her voice, "Am I correct in thinking such a thing?"

Sydale grimaced, realizing again that she could take no privacy in even her thoughts.

Pushing that thought from her mind quickly, she responded, "Of course not, my Lady. I'm simply considering how we've gotten to this point. Your accomplishments continue to impress, my Lady."

The voice was silent for a few moments, as if the lady was contemplating her thoughts. Before once more speaking up, as Sydale witnessed the sun's rise across the treeline.

"They are scared of me and my influence. They are willing to cut themselves off from their source of power, and without informing the crowds no less…" Congeria spoke, a smug undertone to the Dead Goddess' voice.

Sydale got a questioning look upon her snout, very well aware that the god didn't need physical eyes to see her expression. "But Mistress, won't that make you weaker the closer we are to the city? Our followers won't have you guiding them once they are in there?"

Congeria chuckled in a demeaning manner in response, "Why, little vestige, that is why I will not bring any that are fully under my control, but rather the ones devoted to us. Simple, really. They are so afraid of my power to dominate and expand the mind that they forgot the ones willingly joining our cause." The goddess spoke, to which Sydale nodded, seeing the plan of her mistress.

The Ice noble sighed lightly to herself, glancing upon the heavy tome on her night-table.

"But mistress, why start with Warfang as your major goal? You know very well that this is one of the most difficult places to-" She was cut off, the ever looming presence weighing down upon her.

"The bigger they are the heavier they fall. If Warfang was under my control, if those… _Heroes_ came under my influence, who would be able to stand up to me?" Congeria merely questioned back, her words causing the Ice dragoness to let out a chilled chuckle.

"Why, yes. I understand. Shall I ask our spies to try and figure out more about this… Machine of theirs? The blueprints should not be too hard for our eyes on the inside to come over. Make their little flimsy shield against you their very own downfall?" She suggested to the voice within her mind.

Alas, Congeria didn't say more except for "Someone's coming." To which Sydale turned around, hearing the familiar clattering of claws over the floor. A knock on the door.

Time for Sydale to put her orderly mask on again. Time to hide who she really is once more.

She opened the door and nodded at the individual standing outside, ushering them in quickly, "Were you followed?"

"I don't believe so. None of them are catching on to me, I don't think," the individual responded, shaking their head, "And the cloak helps to obscure me after I leave."

"Good. They'll never see you coming…" Sydale responded with a light and evil grin, "Now come in, we have much to discuss regarding the Defenders…"

The door closed with a _thud._

* * *

 **AN: Short, sweet and ominous. Who is the cloaked person? Will we ever find out where Sydale lives? Will Hawk ever stop asking these ambiguous questions? The answer to all of that is "Maybe!" if you keep up being an awesome reader! We're going to get to work on the next chapter soon, so stay and bear with us!**

 **As always, we appreciate any and all feedback! Reviews are always read and responded to when we can get to them.**

 **See you next time!**

 **-Mike & Hawk**


	16. Chapter 16

**Call of the Ancestors**

 **Chapter 16: The Infinium**

Suddenly the citizenry of Warfang all got a nasty, _nasty_ surprise. From the heart of Warfang, the temple dedicated to the Ancestor's worship and where the Guardians recided, a bright beam was suddenly emitted into the sky. It ended about 20 meters above Warfang's tallest building, a bright pink-ish sheen, as a big shield enveloped the entire city. The loud whirring and magical humming eventually stopped, the "bubble" having now taken on a translucent pinkish color, barely visible to the naked eye.

The citizens of Warfang looked out from windows or straight up into the sky and some who were airborne or atop the floating islands even tried studying this odd phenomenon up close. The moles, Cheetah and others didn't feel much, it was just a… Odd sight.

The dragons however were a different story entirely. They felt… Different. Like a part of their very being got removed, pulled out of them or disconnected.

This feeling was not just for the average everyday drakes who wandered the streets and lived and worked in the town, the soldiers of the DOW that were of draconic descent felt it too. Even the Guardians and heroes such as Spyro and Cynder themselves suddenly lacked that… Connection.

Something Sethelis'd discover mid practice alongside a few of the 18ths members. She was in one of the DOW training rooms located in their tower, attacking a training dummy. Only for her magic to just… Disappear. No matter how hard she tried, not even a whisk of the black enveloping smoke came out of her maw.

This was… Wrong. It felt wrong. Sethelis looked over towards her soldiers. The usually calm and composed faces confused, and in the Dragons' cases some were even scared.

"Everyone, calm down. I can explain…" She started.

* * *

Across the City, Miarko looked at his paws in shock.

His powers were gone. His element, the fire that was inborn to his identity...they were no longer coursing through his body. He could no longer feel them. He attempted to ignite the gas in his throat to put out a small candlelight...but nothing happened. It was as if he was no longer himself. His combat skills were so firmly rooted in the skills he had with his element. And now, to have those taken from him…

"I don't believe it," Terron said, flanking the Captain to his side, "They actually did it. Those old sons of...they actually did it."

Miarko looked over at the Lieutenant, surprised by his sudden display of emotion. Normally he was a rational soul, Miarko assumed that he would see this display for what it was, the final attempt to protect the City's inhabitants from the threat that was already among them.

"Lieutenant...they're doing the best that they can, given the circumstances," he responded, shaking his head at the sudden conduct from his Lieutenant. It was uncharacteristic of him.

"They should have told us first!" Terron replied, clearly unhappy with the current events, sitting down upon his haunches and looking onto the floor in defeat. "They are supposed to protect and guide us, spiritually or not. And here they go, hiding away some… _Magic_?"

"Hiding away Magic? How do you mean?" Miarko responded, "Our magic, or the magic in the Temple?"

Terron shrugged, glancing out the window and nodding towards the large beam which was still emitting into the air, seemingly powering the shield surrounding the city. "I meant that. You know something about it? Because it is news to me." The Earth dragon spoke.

"I barely knew more than you did," he said, shaking his head, "Just knew that, well, that it was an option. Nothing more than that."

"An option they took very quickly. People are really angry, and I suppose we will get to hear their reasoning sooner or later. But for now I recommend you go hear with one of the Guardians?"

Terron's words were sound, especially now when Miarko had established a… Closer connection to one of the Guardians. It allowed him to find Ifrit in between business hours, something which made talking to her and her colleagues much more convenient.

"I will, you should keep the DOW updated. News will spread fast, and you better inform as many as you can that this is for our own safety." The Captain of the 17th spoke, before turning to go towards the exit, headed for Ifrit's estate. And after he had made his way past his co-workers and through the longue of DOW tower, having been neatly repaired since Elmira's escape, the red dragon ran and leapt off the edge of their floating island, gliding across the sky and above the many rooftops and past the many tall towers of the city, heading towards the main city square. Ifrit lived nearby and it wouldn't take lo-...

Miarko suddenly saw the rather large crowd beneath him. That is a lot of upset dragons.

"What in the Mover…?" he asked himself, shaking his head at the sudden approach of the large number of individuals.

The crowd was loud, colorful. It almost reminded him of the ceremony which was held just a day ago. Except, like as if it all was some cruel joke, someone had replaced the smiles and cheering with frowns and angry voices. The stair leading up to the Temple doors being lined with the City watch and the temple's own guards. Miarko had to nudge and almost even force his way through the crowd to gain access to the stairs, stepping up to a Guard and explaining who he was and who he needed to speak to.

Shortly after he was let inside, seeing how the room with the Pool of Visions was empty. Now he'd just need to find one out of four Guardians. Thinking over the possible locations, the obvious hit the Fire Captain, the Guardianess would probably be with the "shield" emitter, which was stored in the one of the central chambers of the Temple. He began to walk briskly in that direction. After a short while, he arrived to find it flanked by two more of the Temple's guards. Noting his presence right away, both warriors nodded and allowed him entry into the central chamber. Miarko opened the door.

Greeting his eyes was a large… Gemstone? The largest piece of magical rock he had ever seen. The odd contraption was consisting of a large blue gem whose sharp edges and outcroppings reached for the roof, slowly rotating on four golden legs, which all had a magical glow about them. The floor had odd arcane symbols scribbled in chalk as well as etched into the fine marble patterning. This contraption was made to stay a long time.  
It slightly baffled him how they even got this thing in here to begin with. Not that this made him any less furious, as Fire dragons were keen to flare up with their temperament just like their element, it wasn't too unusual, but Miarko felt _angry_.

As expected, the Fire Guardianess stood near the center of the chamber. She seemed to be inspecting the gemstone and was oblivious to the Fire Captain's entry…

" _What have you done?_ " he screamed, causing the bipedal guards to reach for their weapons, but kept them sheathed after seeing it was just the Captain.

However, Ifrit turned around rapidly, at first fangs gritted; "I told you yesterday Volteer that we we-..." She opened her eyes whom had been clenched shut in irritation at first, seeing Miarko, which cut the female dragon short for words at first, "Ah. Miarko."

Ifrit could see clearly the anger that was burning inside the Captain as he continued to stride towards her. He simply repeated, " _What. Have. You. Done?"_

Ifrit looked like she wished to take a few steps back at first, however the Guardianess stood her ground, her voice calm. "I, along with the other four Guardians took to our latest way of defending ourselves against our very powerful foe, Miarko. Something the DOW and the military haven't managed." She retorted, motioning to the large blue gem with a wing.

"We're fighting a _god,"_ Miarko said, enunciating the last word, "We are still trying to fully test the capabilities of this enemy. What should I do? Blast off into the Aether and fight the Spirits themselves?"

Whilst his preposterous question seemed to amuse Ifrit, causing a small twitch of her lips at first, the Guardian composed herself; "And we know that she can take the control of an entire city with next to no effort, Miarko!" She called back, her voice echoing off the walls just like his. Albeit a bit louder now. "We are fighting a _concept_ given personality and near endless power, how do we defend ourselves against something like that, if not cut ourselves away from it?"

He could see that she was thinking, working her brain to the maximum to come up with ways to explain her actions.

Miarko sighed as he realized this, shaking his head, "I know...I know. But you implied the DOW and the rest of our forces are not doing our jobs. What do you expect of us, Guardian?"

She shook her head, chuckling. "Well, maybe your means of doing things is a tad too slow. We are dealing with someone who literally does not need any form of rank and file. She is the onesole being above everyone else in her army." The Guardianess started. Before turning back to look upon the big blue gem.

"Tell me, Miarko. Do you know what kind of gem this is?" She asked.

Miarko simply nodded. Every dragon knew what these contained. "Power," he replied simply.

To which the Guardianess nodded. "Indeed so, yes. However, we've simply… Tinkered with it, and now it does the right opposite of what Spirit Gems normally does, they usually makes us stronger, but this? It cuts our connection to the Aether entirely." She explained, before looking over to the red dragon once more. "Which brings me onto the tricky part. I need you, and Sethelis, to venture forth and find someone of great importance."

"Very well, who is it?" Miarko asked, wasting no time. Only to look… Baffled to say the least.

"I need you to find my predecessor. I need you to find _Ignitus_."

* * *

 **A/N:** **Oh my! A dead dragon? Well, for all we know Ignitus cannot be of much help. Has Ifrit lost it? Come back to find out in the next chapter!**

 **Speaking of the "next chapter", both of us are rather busy people, me with exams and Mike with work, so our pace is not as high as it could be, but stay with us like you have until now and we will keep providing with more chapters about Miarko, Sethelis and the rest!  
This one was a bit short, but we can give you a promise that there'll be more in the next one!**

 **As always, we appreciate any and all feedback! Reviews are always read and responded to when we can get to them.**

 **See you next time!**

 **-Mike & Hawk**


	17. Chapter 17

**Call of the Ancestors**

 **Chapter 17: "Dead dragons tell no tales."**

Miarko had to ask again, just to make sure he hadn't misheard the Guardian's words. "I'm sorry but… _What_? Ifrit, Ignitus has been dead for years." He started, sitting down upon his haunches and just staring at the dragoness in disbelief.

He was, admittedly, starting to think she might've had a screw loose, that the pressure and stress of Guardianhood was too much for the poor woman… Those ideas were something Miarko would have believed, had Ifrit not spoken her next sentence.

"It has come to my beliefs that he has taken upon himself the mantle of the Chronicler. A dragon tasked by some cosmic laws to record, study, archive and watch over a great "Era". Such a thing as a new Chronicler hasn't happened since… Well… The recorded history of this age began." Ifrit explained, her words not clearing much up for the Fire Captain, who had little more than a confused look upon his face.

"So you are saying that despite _clearly_ dying, something which is backed up by accounts of both Cynder and Spyro themselves, Ignitus is still out there recording all of our past and present events all at once?" He asked, still clearly not believing this at all, "and so now you wish for Seth and myself to find this mythological dragon who less than half of the populace in this very city even know about, or even less so: Believe that he even exists?" Miarko continued to question.

Ifrit gave him the deadest of deadpan looks when she replied. It was clear that she possessed an iron will and a deep conviction towards her cause with every word she spoke. But despite all that, Miarko still felt a shred of doubt. "Yes. The sole problem with this is that, according to our sources, it is impossible to find the islands where the Chronicler resides if you haven't either been told the way, or been there before. This is why I have sent for a person who shall guide you two there."

"Was it really necessary to wake me up at this hour?" came the all-too-familiar voice of the Director, Spyro. The purple dragon sauntered in slowly, seemingly just have woken up for the day, despite the late hour.

Miarko looked over towards the Director of the DOW, saluting. "Sir, I-" He started, only for the Purple Hero to interrupt him.

"No need for formality here, Miarko. At ease." He commanded, before turning to Ifrit, whom was quick to explain the situation as to who they were going to find.

Spyro looked as confused as Miarko did upon hearing about Ignitus, but he got a slight smile upon his purple snout.

"Very well. I shall make sure to get them where they need to be, and back again if it is required. Miarko, grab Sethelis; this should be the first thing you do in the morning. Meet me at the base of the DOW tower. We've got a long journey ahead of us, so pack sturdy armor and plenty of rations. I will see you there." Spyro further ordered towards the red Fire Captain, who once more saluted.

"Yessir."

Miarko had a feeling that this wasn't going to be as easy as Spyro made it sound to be.

* * *

An hour or so later, Miarko found himself back at his office, he was preparing some paperwork in advance as to not miss out on much during his time away, readying it to be sent to Terron. Across the room, having not bothered to use the door but rather used her powers to creep in under it, was a familiar night-blue Dragoness.

Sethelis sighed and looked at Miarko, "Did we really just get roped into this?"

Miarko grinned lightly and winked, "Think of it as an extended vacation. Just a longer one and one that may decide the fate of the city and possibly all of the Realms. No pressure!"

Miarko looked over to his companion just in time to see Sethelis rolling her eye at his casual reply, his gaze being met by hers. The Fire dragon could see what could only be described as 'annoyed affection' upon her face.

"I approve of your optimism, but not on your light take on the whole 'saving the world' part." She admitted, as she studied some old medallions he had upon a small shelf by the doorway.

Miarko looked over his pack again, making sure that he had gotten everything sorted, all the while he continued the conversation, "It's not like we haven't been there before. You were there when the City nearly fell, weren't you?"

Sethelis nodded. "Yup, and like everyone else I could see that horrific giant too. Talk about nightmare stuff, am I right?" she asked, rhetorically. It wasn't every day one could see a lava monster constructed out of giant mountainsides.

"Let's just hope we won't need to fight one of those again. One was enough."

Miarko stopped for a moment and his smile faded. He stood there, frozen for a few moments, before shaking his head and saying, "Yeah. Nightmarish stuff."

Sethelis looked over, seeing his shift not only in movement but also in tone, "Do I sense some trauma?" She asked, her voice much gentler than her actual question.

Miarko looked over at her and shook his head, returning his focus to his bag, 'No, no. Nothing to worry about. Just thinking about Spyro and Cynder and what they did during that battle. They were what inspired me to even take up the role as an independent soldier."

The fire dragon noted that Sethelis already had her own bag ready, resting between her wings upon her back. "Talk about great idols you had there. I just did it because it was the job which suited me best, simply put." he'd hear her comment. Which… Sprung an interesting train of thoughts in the Fire Dragon's mind. He pondered for just a few seconds.

Now when he thought about it, it did occur to him that whilst Sethelis was the kind of dragoness who'd gladly dig up any old dirt she might've been able to find on anyone that she had to work with to an extensive degree, she was very secretive about herself.

Miarko would not even be surprised if she even had found some old medical records from his time at the Academy just because she could.

That thought made him chuckle, remembering that book on Fire Dragons he'd found at her place about a month back. Her secrecy did not really bother him, but rather Miarko knew that she had to be like that due to the rules of the 18th. Then again, since they now were… intimate, he figured he'd have a better chance than most to get to know her. Sethelis the dragoness, not Sethelis, Captain of the Shadows.

"Who were you before all of this?" Miarko asked, "I've asked about your personal history and all that, I know, but did you change after the War and joining this team?"

As the question arose, Sethelis seemed like it was her turn to freeze up for a second. "Oh, I changed, yes. One can say that you don't feel as tough as you did signing up when you're actually on a battlefield."

"Toughness…" Miarko replied, trailing off, "I think I know how that feels. After the siege, I tried to...I tried to hone myself, my body. Become a greater weapon. So I'd never have to taste the sting that I did that day."

Sethelis sighed, sitting down upon her haunches again, across the familiar wooden desk. "Well, I would certainly say you are damn better than some scrawny newly enlisted private." She complimented. Something which… Wasn't actually that common to hear from her lips. Miarko knew this, but he also knew that most of Sethelis' feared reputation amongst the DOW subordinates which didn't hail from the 18th also usually were exaggerated. Ghost stories, almost.

"Heh. You're something else," he responded simply, "Something that I...quite like," he said, approaching her. He was...doing his stride.

"Aww, look at you. Already back on track with being yourself." She remarked, remaining still and letting the dragon approach. Who was she to reject Miarko the infamous captain of the 17th from doing his thing?

He pounced on top of her. The two rolled to the floor with a light _thud_.

* * *

Sethelis giggled. " _Weren't we supposed to be prepping for a mission?_ " She thought to herself, desperately trying to recall if the door was locked. "... You did lock the door, right? Would be bad if, let's say, Terron walked in." The Shadow pointed out from her trapped position upon the floor, nodding towards the door itself a few meters away.

"I'm fairly certain...I think…?" Miarko responded, already distracted.

Sethelis let her stone facade crack with a giggle, something that went completely against her stone-hard reputation within the DOW tower, but then again… Miarko had that effect on people.

"... Miarko, the master planner. I can finally see why they needed someone like me signed up on this investigation." She teased. "For real, whilst being all risque is kind of part of our job, I think we might want to _keep_ said jobs. I'd hate to be the talk of the Tower so to speak. Or for Cynder to find out." She admitted. And the red dragon could've sworn he heard her say " _And my agents would never shut up about it._ ", but it must've been his imagination.

A moment of silence.

"Could you go check?"

Miarko sighed and wrought himself off of Sethelis and walked over to the door, locked it slowly and with much fanfare, "Happy now, love?"

"You could call me satisfied. Then again, I have suddenly been promised…" she undid the metal fastener on the leather straps keeping the backpack on, the container, letting it slide off of her back as she spoke. "... Something else. And in a office no less? _Wild_." She murmured, snaking her way around the desk and onto his seat. "So, Captain… Ready to undertake your mission?"

She was grinning.

Miarko yawned and closed his eyes, sitting down, "No. In fact… That trek to the door wore me out. I think I'll just lie here." He pretended to fall asleep.

"Wow." Was all Sethelis said, and he could hear that she was disappointed in his sudden lack of effort. "I guess I will just have to walk over to that lazy red rug, then." She said, he could almost hear her rolling her sole eye, and he could indeed hear her paws on the floor. The Fire Dragon would feel her cooler body slip down next to him.

It was quiet for a short moment, before suddenly Sethelis spoke up. Her words made him chuckle slightly.

"... Wanna do it on the floor?" She asked.

* * *

It was early. Very early, in fact. The sun had barely even gotten close to rising over the treeline, the fields of grasslands and steppes that surrounded the splendid Dragon City was still dewy and cold, specks of mist coating the landscape. It was almost as if time had frozen in these early morning hours. The only sound besides the wind rustling in the leaves of the occasional tree was some birdsong, or some early morning person taking a walk on the marble streets of Warfang.

One such occurrence was two dragons soaring through the skies, Sethelis and Miarko who were making sure to be timely and meet up with Spyro outside the DOW's tower.

Upon landing the two could indeed see the unmistakable purple scales, orange frills and golden horns which all were attached to a familiar individual. The two Captains landed, making their way over towards the Purple Hero, saluting. However they were both dismissed casually, and whilst they both knew Spyro wasn't much for such things like formalities, Sethelis did have to bite her lip as to hold back a sigh.

Spyro was decked out in a set of simple metal armor which consisted of plating over his tail, a chestplate and a simple set of legguards. The Purple Hero was also wearing a backpack which was seemingly packed to the brim with supplies, compared to Miarko who had made sure to, as he had put it himself, 'have enough' or Sethelis whom had, in Miarko's opinion, wasted an hour trying to calculate the exact amount of rations she'd need to bring.

"Rather too much equipment than too little." Spyro spoke, having noted how Sethelis' eye was onto his backpack. "So, we'll be heading out at any moment. Retracing some of my steps in the journey I undertook to stop Gaul about…" He stopped, thinking for a little bit. "... Thirteen-ish years ago. Ancestors, time really does fly. And so shall we. Onwards!"

* * *

And with the brief anecdote cleared out of the way the three took to the skies once more, passing through Warfang's new defensive magical bubble and off into the distance. Sethelis had to admit that once they were through the defense, she felt whole again, as if a chunk of her very soul had been forcefully shoved back into her body. Lacking one's element in the day-to-day life was just hard enough, given how Dragons developed almost a lifestyle surrounding it, used it in their work, at home or just in general. But this? It was like a weight had been lifted from her chest and been replaced with a pleasant feeling of wholesomeness. She glanced towards Miarko, and noted pretty much instantly how that gleam in his eyes had returned. A fiery spark.  
Even Spyro seemed more energetic and 'up', picking up his flying speed and almost zooming ahead of the two Captains.

The three didn't speak much, but rather focused on putting as much ground behind them as possible, given what a risk it was to go with such a small group and out into the wilderness. Land swooshed by beneath their paws in blurred mixes of greens, browns, yellows and even spots of deeper reds or purples. Autumn was finally creeping in over the Dragon Realms.  
Given how slowly seasons moved Warfang was in trouble, as it relied on the Fire Dragon population to keep it clear of snow during winter. Sethelis thought to herself that they better solve this Anointed Ones issue quickly, or winter might just catch them dead in the frozen water. As they flew across a patch of wood which was slowly having it's trees replaced with large fungi and massive orange mushrooms towering above the ground, Sethelis called over to Spyro: "Director! Where exactly will we be headed?" She asked, to which Spyro just cryptically answered with a beat of his wings and a "We'll be following the Silver River!" He called over his draconic shoulder.

* * *

And indeed, not long after this they could see the long snake-like water source beneath them, slithering along the landscape. The sun was now standing far up in the sky, the time approaching midday. Something which was noticeable on the flying dragons. Their speed had dropped significantly, and Spyro was eventually lowering himself down to the ground, swiftly joined by the other two who were traveling with him. The Director was standing still for a bit, catching his breath. "I… I have spent far too much time behind a desk and too little working on my cardio." He said. "If Sparx was here, he'd be calling me fat again." The purple one continued, earning a questioning look from the two Captains.

"Your adoptive brother, sir?" Miarko asked, as Sethelis was busy drinking from the nearby river. To which Spyro nodded, turning to face the Fire dragon, a smile resting on his lips. "Yes, but that Dragonfly went back to my foster family." He explained, imitating his brother's voice for a bit: " _Well, whilst you're busy leading this here big military spiel someone's gotta be back home and make sure the old ma' and pa' are alright, ya know?"_ Before laughing. "We write almost every day, though. Despite being so different, we're still family." Leading to Miarko thinking for a bit on his own family or if Sethelis missed her parents or siblings if she had any. The Dragons decided to rest for a bit. There is still a long way to go, as they are now almost at the place where Spyro started his journey the first time. The dragon temple located deep within the swamps which grew along the Silver River.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **I hope you've missed us, because we are back! Bringing things like a roadtrip to an unknown place filled with potential dangers!**

 **Sounds exciting, I hope. Because, whilst me and Mike has taken a bit of a summer vacation away from writing and such (due to all sorts of different things. Real life can be a relaxation and a bother at times!) we should however be able to get back into the swing of things with our semi-regularly posted chapters soon enough!**

 **As always, we appreciate any and all feedback! Reviews are always read and responded to when we can get to them.**

 **See you next time!**

 **-Mike & Hawk**


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